Gypsy Woman
by Ancient2
Summary: I was born into this world a nomad, I continue to walk through it as one. My name is Aimee Lavinia, and I must walk the path of destruction once more. My caravan is gone, my family is gone, but I must carry on. Meeting new friends along the way and old enemies, can I really change my life for the better? Or is fate forever to repeat? No! I refuse to be a Tragedy, I will defy fate!
1. Chapter 1

Ah, that was a good rest. Thank you to all my readers, I shall be returning to my stories again. Sorry for the wait, I hope you like my new stories. And to get this out of the way, all characters aside from my protagonist and her past associates belong to the game Gods Eater Burst, Namco Bandai Games, and D3 Publisher. Enjoy

The Beginning of the Slumber

*** The Year of 2024 ***

Deep in the heart of Europe in a lab funded by the UN. Scientists hustle about to close up shop. The UN has stopped all funding of their research and has ordered them to shut down all operations. Much to their disappointment and frustration, their job was only half done and now the UN wanted them to disappear out of existence. As the chaos continues on a lone man watches it all through a monitoring room high above the chaos.

"Dr. Nowak, we're ready to terminate all functioning of the facility." Approached the man's intern assistant. Neglecting to give her the order to proceeded he continued to observe the chaos.

"..."

"Dr. Nowak?"

"Why did it all come to this?" He finally spoke to her. Looking toward her with sad tired eyes. "We are canceling the objective without the guarantee that we have reached our goal."

"There's nothing we can do, doc." The intern sighed. "The UN calls the shots, if they want us to disappear we disappear."

"But we can't just disappear... not yet." Dr. Nowak said in frustration. "Not yet, we need more time."

"There is no more time, Doctor. The UN has voted they can no longer afford to waste funds on a facility that isn't suppose to exist."

"Those fools. What fascinations there are on this planet if it chooses to be run by shiftless simpletons."

"The job is done, sir. All the alien Oracle Cells are gone."

"Really?" He said approaching her. "Can you honestly tell me that all Oracle Cell organisms are gone?"

"..."

"What proof do you have that they are gone?" He walked back to observing window to rest his head on the cool glass. "(Sigh) It's funny, when the meteor that carried them crashed down on our surface we thought that they were a gift from the heavens. But now that we look upon them, we can see that they were nothing more than a curse."

"It's a good thing we contained the situation out of the sight of the public. If the people got wind of these creatures, it would cause massive anarchy and world wide panic."

"The only reason we were able to keep these creatures on the wrap is because of their minuscule size. Which also makes it harder for us to track them down." Dr. Nowak lectured. "Think, child, you've seen how fast they climb up the evolutionary chain. If the survivors continue to devour under our radar they'll return to bite us right in the foot times a hundred."

"You're thinking too much about these sort of things, Doctor. Such negativity is not good."

"How can I be anything else when they're telling me to dispatch my specimens. After all that they have done for us, all that they've lost, all that they have sacrificed for us in the shadows, we pay them back by blatantly disregarding their lives."

"We've gone too far, Doctor. The world no longer sees them as human."

"The world doesn't even know they exists! And those imbeciles at the UN only see them as animals!"

"And what about **Him**, Doctor?"

"... He's gone... there's nothing we can do about that now. But they all do not need to pay for the crimes that he committed. No! They do NOT deserve this! They deserve better than this!"

"And what do you suppose we do, Doctor?"

"..." He paused and he thought. Contemplating and planning until he knew what he had to do. "Tell the computer to gather all the pods into the basement."

"What?! But Doctor-"

"Just do it."

"Yes, sir." She reluctantly complied as he left the room to head down to the facility's basement ahead of his assistant.

Once down there he entered into one of the many back rooms. Approaching the room's main computer board he began to backup files of all of the research done in this facility and constant updating of the files. As he was finishing off his work a pod came down the lab room's opening chamber and came down to rest horizontally in the center of the room. The computer instantly began to connect its wires to the pod's life line, keeping the occupant in the pod alive and control of the main computer connected.

Dr. Nowak walked over to the pod to observe the young maiden resting inside the pod. If she had made it here, that means that the others were properly transported to their respective rooms as well. The poor girl, life has dealt her a bad hand. Perhaps... somewhere out there... she'll find one that's better. Maybe they'll all find something better than this world where they are considered outcast. He had been there since the experiments began, they were his babies, and he'd be damned if he'd let those brutes in suits destroy them.

"All the pods have safely made it to the basement, Dr. Nowak. What do you plan to do now?" The assistant said, finally finding him after looking through the many rooms in the basement.

"... Lock the doors behind us. No human is getting into this place for a long time."

"B-but sir, the Guardians..."

"Will sleep for a long time... until the world needs them again." A small entity had entered the room through the pet door at the bottom, but they paid it no mind. "The backup chargers will keep them alive for many years to come. And their Pars will look after them until their cryogenic sleep ends."

"But sir, they need to eat. They'll go insane trapped down here for such a long time."

"They were always able to sneak out of here, they can do it again." Then Dr. Nowak leaned down to address the creature in the room. "You'll protect her, won't you boy?"

The Par wailed out in confirmation, resting itself beside the pod.

"If you plan to go through with this, it's time to go, Doctor. We have to get the decoys to UN before they suspect something."

"You're going to help me?"

"I'm your assistant and your intern. I'll follow your choice til the end."

"Thanks... this will follow us for the rest of our lives. We must keep it a secret."

"Understood."

"Good we must get going." He gave the pod a light pat before leaving the room. "Sleep well, kid."

And so the two left the facility and its sleeping occupants... forever.


	2. Chapter 2

A magical world of dreams are an amazing adventure, but sooner or later... you'll have to wake up.

The Awakening

~ The year 2071 ~

The Chopper ride was silent and long. Lindow, Sakuya, and Soma were heading for their current mission which was further from the Den than usual. A couple of days ago Fenrir's Europe Branch had discovered an abandon lab facility out in its wastelands. The facility was believed to date back before the time of the Aragami and one of the few kept in secrecy from the public. The Far East Branch's Director, Johannes, had requested clearance to investigate the facilities and confiscate all items valuable and salvageable from the building. The Europe Branch saw nothing significant about the building so they granted Johannes request with no trouble.

But Johannes saw potential in this discovery. Perhaps if they investigated further into the building they might find some key information. The place was establish before the time of the Aragami, maybe it held information of how the Aragami came to be. If not it still most likely held a bundle of history, which was still valuable since a lot of it was lost during the first wave of the Aragami.

And so there they were, heading toward a discrete location deep within the heart of a foreign forest wasteland. In an area once known as apart of a country called Germany. The ride was a couple of hours long and already Soma was sick of the mission. Not only because he hated the Director, but because he disliked working with a group- even if his teammates were as skilled as they were. Also the fact it was a mere scouting mission, they had specific units for that job, he was an Assault Unit for heaven's sake. If he wasn't killing Aragami in this mission then it was a waste of his time. But another reason he was reluctant about this mission was for the fact he hated science facilities and labs, it brought back memories of his... past.

"We're here, guys!" The pilot called back to them as he began to lower the Chopper, low enough for them to jump. He lowered them a good minute walk from the facility where the only closest open field was. "You've got 40 minutes before I come get you guys. Call me if you guys are done early."

"Thanks, John." Lindow waved at the pilot before jumping out along with the others so the man could take off. Once the Chopper was out of view Lindow addressed his team. "Alright, let's finish this up so we can go home."

"Right." Sakuya agreed.

"Heh, just don't get in my way." Soma smirked before he started to walk off toward their destination.

"Be careful. This place hasn't been inhabited by humans for years." Sakuya cautions. "We have no idea what might have taken resident in the place."

Moving around the stop gate by the guard post they continued on toward the facility. The entrance was made of electric bullet-proof glass doors, ironic for a place that was suppose to hold secrets. The power has been shut off for a long time, so the doors have long since ceased from automatically opening. But the doors have long since been cracked open, something strong enough was able to shatter through the glass. Tightening their grip on their God Arcs they braced themselves for what ever might have broken into the facility.

"This place is a wreck." Sakuya commented as they looked around.

"Yeah, this place has probably seen better days." Lindow agreed.

"But I must say, this place seems emptied out even with Aragami roaming around." Sakuya observed. "It lacks the bite and claw marks it should have if Aragami have raided the place. It's almost like the people in this place just up and moved out."

"Or disappeared." Soma suggested.

"?!"

"Let's save our theories for later. We need to find out what happened or what information this place holds." Lindow ordered, taking command. "We'll split up and search the rooms. Remember, time is of the essence and caution is a necessary. We'll meet up here once we're done. Got that?"

They both nodded in confirmation and split off into separate directions. The building was a two stories building, Lindow and Sakuya investigated the second floor while Soma checked out the first floor. Most of the rooms were large and spacious with massive ventilation systems, indicating that this facility housed many experiments. But all the rooms were empty of any evidence of went on in this place. No files, no graffiti on the furniture, even the storage rooms were emptied. In this time period Terminals were not invented yet so information was gathered and stored in electric things called computers. But all the regular sized computers were taken away, they could tell from the dust differentiation in the areas they once were. The only ones that remained were the giant ones that were built into the wall, but the place had no power to start them up.

Emptied handed from their search, they returned to their meeting point.

"You got anything Sakuya?" Lindow asked.

"No, this place is cleaned out." She said, slightly crestfallen.

"(Sigh) Man, what a drag. At least we didn't bump into anything."

"Hey," came the voice of Soma from a little bit ahead of them.

"Soma, did you come up with anything?" Lindow quarried with a hint of hope.

"Maybe." Soma said as he started to walk back where he came from. "Come with me."

"What is it Soma?"

"I heard something."

"Was it an Aragami?" Sakuya questioned, bringing up her guard.

"No, more like a... humming."

"A humming?"

"Really? I can't hear anything." Lindow commented.

"Just shut up and follow me." Soma grunted as he lead them to a door that lead to a set of stairs in the far back of the facility. "It's coming from down there."

"Boy, you got some mad hearing ability, Soma." Lindow commented which earned an angry growl from Soma. "Let's go check it out."

Lindow went to twist the door's knob but to no avail. "What the? (Jiggle) It's locked."

"It's one of those automatic lock doors. It must need a pass code." Sakuya concluded, investigating the number keypads by the side of the door. "I can probably hack my way through the door, but it'll take some time to find the-"

"Gh!" Soma grunted as he kicked down the door, interrupting Sakuya mid-sentence. The crash of the door echoed through the empty halls.

"That or we could just do that." Lindow teased.

"For the record, my idea would have worked just as well." Sakuya pouted.

"Ugh, let's just go down these stairs." Soma sighed, walking away from the flirting pair.

Their footsteps echoed through the stairs as they made their way down. The stairway only lead to one basement floor down which was also sealed off by an auto-locked door. Soma tried kicking this one down as well, but it did not go down with one kick. It took a couple more kicks before it finally went down, apparently this floor was more maintained than the ones above it.

"Well that one was harder than usual." Soma commented.

"We could have helped, you know." Lindow pointed out.

"I could handle it on my own."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Let's get going." Lindow said, waving Soma's comment off. "Hey, I can hear the humming."

"And the lights... this area has power." Sakuya stated. "That must be where the humming was coming from."

"For this place to still have power after all these years they must of had something they wanted to preserve."

"This place holds many secrets." Soma said as his eyes widened and zoned out. "I sense something coming."

"We've got an Aragami heading our way on the tracker." Sakuya informed.

"Can you pick out what it is?" Lindow questioned as they got into a fighting position.

"It's hard to tell. The radar keeps jumping between a Vajra and an Ogretail."

"Heh ha, great." Lindow sighed.

"It's here." Soma informed.

They all braced themselves as they heard footsteps coming closer from around the hallway. Ready for action when they were suddenly thrown off guard by what came from around the corner.

"Is that... an Aragami? Or a... dog?" Sakuya questioned aloud, not fully understanding what she was seeing. The creature was as big and had the same body build of a doberman pinscher with the tail still attached. But its eyes were a solid neon teal ocean color as its body was a transparent caribbean blue water color that made it seem like it was made of gelatin. In between its ears was a long antenna flowing backward that glowed like a tiger glow fish, and where its heart should be glowed its core. This thing was an Aragami, but it was one of the weirdest Aragami they have ever seen.

"Well this one is... strange." Lindow commented as the Aragami-dog stared them down. "This is the first time I haven't had an Aragami blatantly attack me."

"Don't let your guard down, moron." Soma growl as he noticed Lindow lower his sword a little from his peripheral.

"Guys, look!" Sakuya called out, pointing at the beast. "Its got a collar."

"Tst, this thing has an owner." Soma huff in disbelief. "Who's crazy enough?"

The beast slowly approached them, carefully to make no move of aggression as it still sensed the tension around them. Stopping two feet in front of Lindow, it looked up at him for a second before sitting down and lowering its ears to expose its head to him. As if waiting for him to make the next gesture. Slowly, Lindow reached out an arm -the other still gripping his God Arc tightly- and petted the strange dog on the head. The beast made a low rumble in approval as it slowly wagged its tail. Suddenly the tension lifted away from Lindow as he leaned down to use the other hand to scratch under the dog's ear, much to its approval.

"Careful." Sakuya warned with worry.

"Relax, Sakuya, this guy's friendly. Aren't you boy?" The beast let out a wail in agreement, earning more ear scratching from Lindow as he used his other hand to get a look at its collar. "Attaboy, now let's see what your name is, buddy... Duke, huh. That's a catchy name."

The beast then gently grabbed onto the center front of Lindow's coat and began to tug him forward, much to no avail as Lindow remained still.

"Do you want us to follow you?" The beast wailed at Lindow question and slowly started to move forward in a attempt to lead them on. Turning back on occasion to make sure they were still following it. "Heh haha, alright, alright."

"Lindow are you out of your mind? We're following an Aragami." Soma hissed at him as he reluctantly followed Lindow along with Sakuya.

"He seems harmless enough, let's see where he goes."

"Looks can be deceiving."

"Heh ha, then I'm following my guts."

"Guts naturally stink, Lindow."

"Excuses, excuses. Come on, Soma. I know you two got my back if things go down hill."

"Heh, it seems like we always have your back when you get reckless like this. You're starting to cross over to my baggage list."

"(Giggle) Seems like you're being demoted from the comrade list, Lindow. You better be careful, that list is a hard one to get back on with Soma." Sakuya teased.

"Ha, then I'll have to make sure not to cross the silver line." But the beast finally came to a stop at a door and entered through the bottom opening. As they looked around they noticed that all the rooms had pet entrances on their doors as if to allow something without bendable thumbs to get in. "Looks like this is our stop."

Lindow opened the door as they cautiously entered the room. The room was spacious with little more than a giant computer with its monitor attached to the wall, a chest in the corner next to the computer, and massive wires that attached to a pod in the center of the room. And there the beast sat, more like laid, right next to the pod using its pointer nose to point at the pod. A keypad stand was stationed to the left of the pod.

Lindow and Soma slowly approached the pod, Soma purposely moving around to keep his distance from the beast. What ever was inside was glowing yellow through the pod's glass top. Once they saw what was inside of it the knowledge took Lindow and Soma's breath away.

"Well, what's in it?" Sakuya question as she slowly approached from behind Lindow.

"It's a girl. Look." Lindow answered, making room for Sakuya to see.

"What?!" Sakuya gasped as she rushed to Lindow side to observe the condition of the young lady in the pod. It was hard to make out her features as she slept in the yellow neon liquid blinded her features. She showed no signs of the liquid bothering her as she continued to peacefully slumber almost making her look dead. "H-how... did she get here?"

"The better question is how long has she been here?" Lindow countered.

"This doesn't make any sense. There's no way she could have lasted long in there without air, but there's also no way for her to have survived so long out here in the wasteland with Aragami around. Even with a security dog..." Sakuya commented as her eyes silently slid to the beast sitting in the room.

"This place did a pretty good job erasing most of its tracks, maybe they had discovered away to cryogenically rest a human."

"This liquid has Oracle Cells in it." Soma commented as he starred into the pod and beyond it.

"What?!" Sakuya gasped as she pulled out a tracker to scan the room. "My God, he's right. This stuff has the same pickup waves like the P53 Bias Factor... but it's more concentration, maybe even a stronger dosage."

"!" Soma had to stifle gasp at the news. Could this girl be the same thing he is?

"But how could this be?!" Sakuya demanded in confusion. "Oracle Cells didn't start appearing until the 2050s and even then little to nothing was known about them."

"Maybe this place holds deeper secrets than we thought." Soma commented as he unconsciously began to lean in. Doing so his hands began to shift to adjust to him, one of them even landed to rest on the keypad stand. Once his hand touched it, the room came back to life. Machines started up, the monitor turned on, all of which startled the three of them to jump back. The beast sat up from its spot, wagging its tail in excitement.

"What's happening? Soma, what did you do?" Sakuya questioned in concern of the situations turn.

"How should I know." Soma growled. Just than the pod's glass top shifted open from its sealed shut close, trapped air escaped from its confine. The glass began to slowly slide up and off the pod, out of the way of the occupant inside. Wires came from out of the top of the room lowering down to the pod, one with a rod attached to it as it sent a shock wave through the pod. "!"

That's when Soma heard it... a heartbeat. Green eyes shot open as the body bolted top side up out of the pod. A breath of life echoed through the room... she was awake.


	3. Chapter 3

They say the eyes are the windows to the soul. But if the eyes change hue or color does that mean the soul changes too?

Piercing Emeralds

At long last... light. She had spent so long covered in the darkness she had nearly forgotten how warm the light was. But not nearly warm enough, the poor girl was cold... and soaking wet. And she was so very, very drowsy. She had to use a hand to hold on to her head to keep it from spinning as her readjusted to the light.

But then, something caught her ears. At first it mumbled in the distance then rose to the front like a song. It was the wailing howls that sounded so familiar to her as it lead her out of her haze. She knew that sound.

"Duke?" Her voice was horse and gruff after lack of use and water for years. But as she continued to use it her voice slowly returned to its mezzo-soprano tone. She look around toward the floor until she spotted the beast. "Duke. Duke! Hi, boy."

"It's good to see you, boy. Did you miss me?" She happily cheered as she struggled to get out of her pod to greet the bouncing beast. But her heavy wet hair and her slippery grip on the pod continued to slow her down. The beast impatiently whimpered at the delay of their long awaited reunion.

"(Giggle) Hold on, boy. This is harder than it loo-Ah!" She cried out as she slipped out of the pod. She had successfully gotten one leg out onto the slippery floor and was going for a second. But as soon as she put weight on the freed foot she slipped out of the pod. Landing upside down on the floor as she look up at her Par. "Heh, I guess my limbs are still half asleep, huh Duke?"

"(Cough) Excuse me Ms." Lindow said, finally getting the girl's attention.

"Oh, pardon me." She immediately sat herself up straight when she noticed she had company. But as she looked at Lindow and Sakuya, she had realized she had never seen these people before in her life. "Are you guys the new shift of scientists while I was asleep?"

"No, this place has been shut down for years." Sakuya answered her.

"!" The girl's eyes widen as the news shocked into her core. "Years..."

"Can you tell me your name, Sweetie." Sakuya asked, trying to get the poor girl out of her shock.

"Aimee, Aimee Lavinia." She placed a hand over her heart and bowed in respect to her visitors.

"Aimee?" Lindow question at the odd name.

"To my people it is the equivalent to your translated name, Amy." Aimee explained. "It means 'One that is loved,' loved for short."

"Can you tell us how old you are, Aimee?" Lindow asked.

"Hm, that depends on what year it is." She answered with one hand resting under her chin and the other nonchalantly petting Duke's head as she pondered the question. "Because technically I'm in the physical state of 19."

"And what were you doing here, Ms. Lavinia?" Soma accusingly inquired, finally speaking out to the awaken sleeper.

"Hm?" Aimee didn't realize that there was another person in the room, a couple feet behind her no less. She rose to her feet and began to turn around to address Soma, but froze as soon as her eyes met him. "!"

"!" Soma gasp at her sudden shock from looking at him. Was she afraid of him? Did she actually get a glimpse of his eyes? Either way it gave him a good second to admire her. Her skin was as tan as his, her eyes were emerald green. The lights in the room caught in her raven hair which soaked in the liquid as it dried to its long wavy setting, touching her mid back. And her body... that body was tone judging from the glimpse of her arms and legs up to just under the knees that her gown exposed. It was like she was wearing a hospital gown that closed all the way in the back. Simple, plain, only strives to get the job done; but its soaked fabric exposed the hourglass curves that God had blessed her with. Her breasts were not as big as Sakuya's, but they were only one cup down and she had the bottom curves to even it out. In this world of destruction and wasteland, she would be considered exotic.

"Silas?" She finally spoke, more like gasped out.

"?" Soma was confused. Was she calling out to him? Why did her eyes shine with some lost hope.

"Silas. O dear God, Silas!" She laughed out in joy as she ran to Soma and jumped into his arms. On instinct Soma had latched on to her to keep her from falling, even as she caught him off guard. She locked her arms around his neck as she looked at him with heartening eyes, they were beginning to water. "It can't be?! I thought you were dead?! Did they experiment on you too beyond my knowledge? Oh I don't care right now, I'm just so glad you're back!"

"!" Soma wasn't able to get a word in during her rant, or even a grunt out as she smashed his mouth silent with a heavy kiss. Who the hell did she think he was?

"Whoa! Hold on ther-" Lindow barely got the words out as Soma harshly shoved Aimee out of his arms and onto the floor with a loud thump.

"Who the hell do you think you are?!" Soma growled at her in disdain and slight embarrassment. Duke had rush to his old friend, whimpering to see if she was alright before growling up at Soma. But what really got to him was the look in her eyes as she looked back up at him with tear filled eyes. He could see the broken hopes in them, the feeling of betrayal in her eyes. And it just burned something inside of him. "!"

"W-why...?"

"I'm not your damn Silas." Soma hissed at her.

"What? No you have to be, you have his-" But then she stopped, and looked at him. He had Silas's face, resemblance, and even his voice. She could feel something deep inside him that was familiar to her but when she looked in his eyes...

"!" Suddenly the emotions were gone from her eyes, they were dull, like an unpolished jewel. Even the tears in the corner of her eyes had faded away. She lightly shook as she rose to her feet again.

"Y-yes, of course. How could I've been so mistaken? He's gone... I watched him fade..." She slightly struggle getting up all the way on her feet, almost falling down on her shaky knees again.

"Hey," Soma instinctively reached out to catch her from falling, but she backed away from his touch.

"No, don't. It's quite alright, I'm fine." Holding out a hand to him, palm up to stop him in his tracks as she righted herself up on her own. She turned her side to him as her body stilled with strength and a power of a leader had filled her voice. "Sorry again for the confusion. You remind me of someone I once knew. I'll be sure to address you by your own existence next time?"

"?" Her words slightly confused him.

"Maybe we got on the wrong foot here." Lindow said, breaking the tension in the room. "Let's start over. Hi, my name is Lindow Amamiya. This lovely lady beside me is Sakuya Tachibana. And the grouch across from you is Soma von-"

"Hey!"

"Ugh, just call him Soma." Lindow sighed in exasperation of Soma's behavior.

"I see... it's good to meet all of you." Aimee greeted back to them. "Judging by your names I assume you all hail from Japan?"

"Japan? Oh that's what the region was formerly known as." Sakuya replied. "It's called the Far East Branch now."

"W-what?" Aimee lightly chuckled in disbelief. "That's more of a mouth full than it once was. Then what do you call your ethnicity?"

"Ethnicity?"

"You're jesting with me?" Aimee chuckled, believing that this 'Sakuya' was playing a joke on her. "You know, your culture, your place of birth, your history."

"Sorry, kiddo. People had stopped categorizing others like that ages ago." Lindow informed.

"All labeling titles like that have slowly faded away." Soma added on, crossing his arms as he went to lean on the wall by the computer monitor. "Race, Religion, Sexual Preference, and choice of government had all faded until some of their existences are no longer known."

"!" Her eyes widened at his words. "I don't know if I should be glad that the world is at peace to the point where all our differences have finally faded away for discrimination to no longer exist, or terrified at the cultures we have lost. The histories, the practices, the languages, the beliefs that made us human. I fear that mankind is slowly turning into animals."

"Hmph, you may be right about the animal thing. What with those damn walls we cage ourselves in. But you are mistaken about one thing, this filthy world is not at peace." Soma mocked at the world peace. "And I don't think it ever will."

"It's true that pure peace would be a horrible existence, without the struggles of a challenge and confrontation life would lose its value in living through, but I don't think the world is so bad that it should be labeled filthy."

"You've been asleep for a long time, woman." Soma countered, "the world has gone to hell."

"?!"

"Aimee, can you tell us what the purpose of this place was." Sakuya asked.

"Heh, sorry," Aimee said to Sakuya as she moved back to lean on her pod. "But that is confidential information. Unless you guys are working for the UN, my lips are sealed."

"The UN?" Sakuya repeated in confusion.

"Enough with the jokes, Sakuya." Aimee sighed tiredly. "You know I'm talking about the United Nations."

"United Nations? Sorry, Aimee, there is no such organization at this period of time, and hasn't existed for a long time since such information of it is lost to the Terminal." Sakuya informed.

"What?! They're gone?!" Aimee gasped with slight panic, running a hand through her hair. "Well then, what is the leading organization that unites all the separate nations at this point of time?"

"That would be Fenrir," Soma answered. "Or at least what's left of the nations."

"If there is something you know then please say it. I grow tired of your subtle hints." Not to mention how she was growing annoyed with his negativity.

"The world has been consumed by big scary monsters, little girl." Soma mocked, believing that she had no idea what the Aragami were since they came after her time. "The Aragami has devoured the human's population to 1/10 of what it was."

"What, little girl?! Not including the years I've been under cryogenic sleep, you look like you're 18 giving me still one year over you!" Aimee pointed out in irk. "And how do you know of the Aragami? We wiped them out years ago."

"Ha! Well then you missed a spot because they are thriving." Soma gibed at her, thinking that she was probably confusing the Aragami with something else.

Aimee rushed to the main computer in the room and began to search through its updated data base. Articles, Newspapers, any science papers written that were open to the public. All of the information documented did not bode well.

"No, no, no! This wasn't suppose to happen, they should be gone." Soma look at her with confusion at the corner of his eyes as she ranted on beside him. That's when Soma notice it, the edges of Aimee's emerald eyes were changing into a crimson red. "They must've evolved dramatically during the time we were put to sleep. They even split into multiple sub species. Damn those suited bastards for making us leave the job half done!"

"Aimee... answer me, what do you know?" Sakuya asked, knowing that Aimee was hiding something important.

"(Sigh) You guys are apart of this 'Fenrir,' aren't you?" Aimee tiredly asked.

"Our armlets are proof of that." Sakuya simply answered. Aimee looked Sakuya in the eyes, her eye color had already changed back to normal, seeing if she could find any doubt. It would seem that she would have to trust them.

"(Sigh) Since my organization is gone, it is my duty as one of the surviving members to insure that this information is not lost to humanity. And I must entrust my organizations secrets to the new one, for the good of our species." Aimee then gestured for them all to gather around as she pics and closed off files from her time. "I'm a soldier, secretly forged in these very walls after the Aragami's arrival. Our objective was to contain and obliterate all the Aragami unannounced to the public. If the public were to get wind of this, it would lead to massive chaos and world wide panic. In our time such a feat was not so troubling, the Aragami in my time only reached to a maxed height of an average man and lacked strategic intellect. Although they showed signs of evolution through devouring, it was minor changes at best and was easily containable. However, due to budget cuts the UN aborted our work and our facility claiming that we had met our objective. We were to be put asleep until the world has forgotten about us and the Aragami, or until we were needed again. It would seem that our objective was never met after all."

"Hmph, not like you would've been able to meet your objective anyway." Soma huffed nonchalantly.

"Excuse me?" Aimee quarried, getting slightly offended.

"The Aragami are made of Oracle Cells that eventually re-fuse and create a new Aragami. It would've been virtually impossible to eliminate all Aragami from the planet." Soma informed.

"Oh course it would've been impossible to eliminate them all. It's one of the basic laws of physics, you cannot truly create or destroy. But we could at least contain them in a way where only the harmless Aragami could survive."

"Hmph, harmless? There is no such thing as a harmless Aragami. And even if there were, how did you plan to eliminate the ones that were not? Your time lacked the God Arcs needed to halt the re-fusing process of Oracle Cells."

"God Arcs? What ever those are, we didn't need them. We had our PARs."

"PARs? Enough with your 50s lingo, woman, just speak to us straight." Soma growled, getting a headache from the bump in their communication barrier.

"50s? What are you- !" But then Amiee stopped in her tracks. Nervous, she look through the files again, checking every little detail she might have possibly missed. But that's when she noticed the small detail that she was so busy to notice before... the dates. "..."

"Amiee?" Sakuya asked in concern at the girl's sudden silence.

"... Sakuya... can you tell me what year this is?"

"2071."

"... can you repeat that again..."

"2071."

"..."

"Hey-" Soma called out to Aimee when she suddenly slammed her fist on the side of the computer board, closest to him. The crimson red had returned to her eyes, consuming more territory. "!"

"47?" Aimee was practically crossed. "I have been asleep for 47 BLOODY YEARS?!"

"!?" The news came as a shock to them all. They knew this place dated back to the time before the Aragami's recorded arrival, but to have a number thrown at them still sent them in a loop.

"47 years of my life, WASTED!" Aimee cried out, running to her pod as she began to kick it. "All those people I left behind. My people, my caravan, my father; gone, they're all gone!"

At last her rampage had come to a stop, but not without damage as the others viewed the massive dents in the pod. Duke made his way to Aimee's side, whimpering to her in comfort as he rubbed his head on her side. She gently placed a hand on top of his head as she look up toward the ceiling, passed its blinding lights. The emeralds returning in her eyes.

"(Sigh) Why did it all come to this? Why must everything good of mine get broken to pieces?" Aimee asked out to no one in general.

"So," Lindow called out to her, gaining her attention. He knew this was a lot for her to take in just as soon as she woke up. But this was no time to grieve, there were things to be done and people to save. The Aragami rested for no one. "What do you plan to do now?"

Aimee turned her head to face Lindow as she looked him in the eyes. The determination in her eyes was inspiring, and almost blinding. "I've lived my life following a dream and a purpose, and I don't have any regrets. I'm certainly not going to start now."

Moving to the side of her pod, Aimee knelled to yank out a disk from its side pocket. Rising to her feet again, she moved back to the computer to insert the disk. Typing in a few commands the screen turned into a loading bar screen.

"Here's all the data this place and my time has to offer, no bars." Aimee explained to them what she was doing as she moved to the chest in the room. She opened it, revealing to the others that it was filled with well preserved clothes and personal belongings. "It'll take awhile for all the files to download, soooo until then..."

"W-what are you doing?!" Soma blushed in disbelief as she began to take off her dress. The chest was to the right of him meaning she was doing it beside him. Blocking his view of any show she threw the dress at his face. "!"

"There's no way I'm leaving this place in that awful thing." She answered nonchalantly as she moved Soma to turn his back on her and used him as a curtain from the others. "Be a gentleman and cover for me, would you?"

Soma yanked the wet fabric from his face and tossed the offending thing on the floor. "Why you!"

But that was all he could come up with comeback, he couldn't think of any insult as her giggle rang in his ears.

"So, kid, are you going to come with us or not?" Lindow asked in confirmation as she changed away from their view.

"Hm, mine as well. The organization which I pledged my loyalties to has been dispersed and my duty still stands. You guys are the closest I'll get to getting information updates." She then tapped Soma lightly on the shoulder. "Alright, Mr. Grumpy, I'm done here."

"Don't call me that, woman." Soma growled while turning around to face her. She ignored his frustrations as she began to sort and pack the remaining items in the chest. Giving Soma a chance to observe her change in... attire. "Is 'that' going to be really efficient for long travel?"

She had now dawned a long dress that reached down just an inch above her ankles, which the left one sported two thin gold bracelets. The bottom half of her dress was pure white but changed into an aqua blue where the slit started two inches above the knees. The top half was a low off shoulders, where the short puff sleeves remained aqua blue but the chest area returned to white. The remaining half of her top was covered with a black laced Victorian underbust demure corset while a blue triangle hip scarf graced her waist. And to complete the look four thin golden bracelets graced her left wrist while only two and a coil chain bracelet on her upper arm graced her right.

"This is my traditional native garment. I've always worked in these." Aimee huffed in disbelief at his question.

"Fascinating, I've never seen such clothes in the Terminal's database before. What exactly is your native origins?" Sakuya asked with excited curiosity.

"Romani... most people know us as Gypsy."

"I've never heard of that before. Where did your people live?"

"No where." Aimee simply answered to Sakuya as she final reached the bottom of the chest.

"That's not an answer." Sakuya pouted.

"Yes it was," Aimee corrected as she finally stuffed everything she owned in the chest in a backpack that was stored inside the chest as well. She hauled the pack onto her back, it's strap on one shoulder as her other hand held a pair of gloves that she didn't decide to pack. Getting back up on her feet she faced the others, especially Sakuya. "We were nomads, we wondered the lands never settling to be able to call one place our homes. We were travellers in tribal caravans."

"Oh..." Just as Sakuya spoke the computer indicated that it was done downloading.

"Well that's done. Here." Aimee said, yanking the disk out of the computer and tossing it to Lindow who caught it with ease. "Now there's only one more thing left to do."

"And what would that be?" Lindow questioned as she put on the gloves. Apparently they were fingerless as her hands got re-accustomed to its black leather. She gave her fists a squeeze before dropping them to the side and faced Lindow.

"Wake the others."

*** Author's Notes ***

Silas - of the forest


	4. Chapter 4

Something alone stands weak, but with many it becomes a force to be reckoned with.

Guardians

"There are more of you?" Soma said in exasperation as they were forced to follow behind Aimee who was leading them through the hallway, with Duke not too far behind.

"Of course there are." Aimee replied. "Did you honestly think I could take on all the Aragami by myself, did you?"

"How many of you are there?" Lindow asked.

"Originally there were ten of us, but now our numbers have dwindled to seven."

"Only ten, why were there be so few of you? There are hundreds of us to fight off the Aragami around the world and I still think that isn't enough." Sakuya responded.

"Each of us were sent to the organization to represent our continents, some continents giving more represenatives than others. And there weren't as many Aragami then as there are apparently now." Aimee responded. Stopping at one of the many rooms' door. "By the way, fighters of man, what exactly do you guys call yourselves?"

"God Eaters," Soma answered.

"Oohh, how fearsome. We just called ourselves Guardians." Aimee shrugged her shoulders at Soma's answer and pushed the door open. What greeted her was what looked like a really fat plum bat. It squeaked and circled around her head in excitement. "(Sigh) Amon, settle down. I'll never wake up Azuma with you flying around my head like that."

The creature went to happily sit on top of Duke's head as it waited for Aimee to wake its partner. Like Soma had done before, Aimee touched the keypad stand by the pod in the center of the room to open its glass cover.

"And who exactly are we waking up here?"

"Well, this right here is Azuma Mugen. He's 17 years old, hails from Japan, and is one of the representatives for Asia. The second one being Yummie Song, the youngest member of Guardians. A mere 14 years in age she came from China. Then there's Nonna Zharkov from Russia, 18 and one Europe's representative other than me. Ron Cage from the US representing North America, 17. Kamali Ebele, 19, representing mother Africa. And Jack Walsh representing the down under of Australia, 16 and a ball of fire."

"What? What about South America? Where's their representative?" Sakuya asked in confusion.

"They're dead." Aimee somberly answered. But just as soon as her sour mood came it left as soon as the lid to the pod finally opened. A shock wave went through the pod, starting up the sleeping occupants heart again. Just as the boy's hazel eyes open up, Aimee reached in and pulled him out by the front of his shirt. "Waky waky, Azuma, it's time to get up."

"..." The young man just stared up at her, still half asleep but also in irritation of her man-handling him. The liquid from the pod gripped from silky raven hair where it trailed down his porcelain skin like rain. His hair was cut in an uneven bowl cut that gave an innocence to his cold look.

"Get dressed," Aimee simply instructed with one small tap on the arm before heading out. "And pack your things, we're heading out."

As she left the room with the others, Azuma had finally his first words in a long time. "How annoying."

The next room she went to had what looked like a capuchin monkey with golden fur and three green eyes one on the forehead - and a core in the center of his chest were it's heart should be. The monkey screeched and kicked its feet wildly from its perch on the room's computer monitor. It seem to be purposely screeching toward Aimee, as if in a rant.

"Yeah, yeah, Momo. I got her. Keep your poop in you." Aimee said to the screeching thing, waving it off. The monkey silenced as Aimee approached to pod, as if waiting for it to open. It didn't have to wait long as Aimee's human hand print opened the pod and the occupant inside got a shock. Mostly likely a light sleeper, she jumped awake in surprise as soon as the shock came. The poor girl shot up from the pod's liquid with big open brown eyes and a heavy cough. She had opened her mouth the moment she had woken up. Now her one-sided long bang on her short pixie hairstyle covered her young face as she coughed out the liquid.

"(Cough) Ugh, that tasted like fermented dirty creek water." The poor girl whined until she noticed Aimee patting her back. Looking up to Aimee, she gave her a two fingered salute. "Oh- yo, Aimee!"

"And a good morning to you too, Yummie." Aimee smiled to the 14 year as she stretched her arms and yawned.

"Ahh man, that nap felt like forever. Where's Momo? Ah! There you are little monkey! Come to mommy!"

The yellow beast screeched happily and jumped to Yummie where it was as soon as she opened up her arms.

"Aw, mommy's little trouble maker! Ready to reek some havoc again?" Yummie happily cooed to the monkey which replied her with a confirm screech before she looked back to address Aimee. "So, are we heading out?"

"Yes, get dressed." Aimee answered before going to leave.

"Ooh! Can I help you wake the others?!" Yummie had asked with too much excitement for the others liking, as if she was up to something.

"No, you have some packing to do. But if you finish early you can tell the others to meet in Nonna's room."

"Ya'okay, you're the boss!" Yummie saluted to Aimee as she left the room.

"Boss?" Soma repeated Yummi's words in speculum while they moved to the next room.

"When we joined we were tested for our strength level. The lower the rank,the stronger the person. The lowest rank is placed as our team's leader. I was actually placed in fourth, but got the job by default."

"Really? What happened to the other numbers?" Sakuya asked in curiosity as they all ignored the gentle giant watching them as they came in the new room. It stood at 9 feet tall and looked like a boxy gray zombie/mummy from a horror movie that had been mostly unwrap- on the head, chest, below the knees, and shoulders to upper arms and its feet had been morphed into elephant hoofs. Its core glowed out from its chest where its heart would be as angry veins expose themselves in a glow around it. Around its neck hung a necklace made of river stones and animal teeth bones. And on his head were tiny hollowed out gourds that hung like ornaments on its head attached to its wrappings by different lengths of strong stress, they beat each other making soothing sounds. But the beast did nothing as they made their way in, making it a harmless presence in the room. Already knowing this, Aimee continued on with the conversation as she went to open the pod.

"Well, 2 and 3 were killed in action and number 1 went MIA." Aimee answered as she unsealed the pod.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Sakuya sadly replied, worried that she might ave opened some old wounds. "Maybe 1 is living the rest of his days peacefully somewhere."

"For the sake of a us all I pray that he is dead." Aimee replied bitterly.

"Wha-"

"Hey, Kamali. Wake up." Aimee cut off Sakuya soon to be raining questions, using waking up her comrade as an excuse to avoid them. Gently shaking the young woman's shoulder as she came to life. "It's time for us to waken."

The woman had long onyx dreadlocks which she kept in a low ponytail with a few that escaped to act like side bangs and two long ones to hang down from the left center of her forehead. She was a beautiful shade of dark chocolate with warm brown eyes that spoke of a gentle nature while still holding a warriors fire in them. She remained steady and calm as she took in the strangers in the room along with the old friends.

"Ah, Anzi, Aimee, it has been a long time my friends." Her voice was a gentle deep, but her accent was strong.

"Indeed it has, Kamali." Aimee gently replied, pressing a hand on her shoulder before getting up to go. "We must leave soon. Get dressed and pack your things."

Kamali only replied with a nod as they left the room. The beast inside the room slightly moved its head to look at her, but still remained unmoving as the others left the room. It was as if it knew of its horrifying appearance and chose to not make any sudden moves so as not to startle the new faces. The next room had a beast that resembled a constrictor snake made of blue gelatin with one glowing white eye and a core they could seen through him. The snake hissed as it wrapped itself around Aimee and made its way up to her shoulders. The snake was more than half her size in height, but she didn't mind its presence on her.

"Hi, Eli." She greeted the snake as its tongue kissed her cheek. As she woke up the boy in the pod, the snake made its way down her arm as the boy sat up from the pod. He stretched out his arms, popped some fingers here and there, and gave out a big yawn as he role his shoulders. The boy had short messy sand brown hair even when it was wet, but his deep blues eyes took most of the attention away from that as it complimented his lightly kissed from the sun skin tone. "Morning, Jack. Looks like somebody was excited to see you again."

Aimee chuckled as the snake made its way down from her arm and onto Jack's. "Eli, old boy. How've yah been, yeah miss me, mate?" Jack said tiredly down to the snake, earning an extra squeeze. "I'll take that as a yes. Anyway, what's the plan love?"

"Get packed and dressed right now. I'm going to wake the others."

"You've got it, mate." Jack confirmed, giving her a thumbs up as she left the room.

"Love? Mate? Are you guys dating?" Soma said accusingly. Slightly irk that she would have a boyfriend after kissing him in such a way earlier while calling another guy's name.

"Clearly you've never met someone from the Down Under. That's just how they talk in Australia, we aren't an item." Aimee nonchalantly answered as they entered the next room. What looks to be buck made of green gelatin was in the room. Its neon aqua eyes greeted then as they entered the room, its long pointy antlers gave it an intimidating took. But its graceful slow moments gave it a calming air as its core inside its slightly see through body flickered to a beat like a heart. "You're not jealous, are you?"

"Hmph, don't flatter yourself." Soma growled at her as he turned his head away from her, crossing his arms. Aimee just went to unseal the pod, drawing the attention of the buck in the room, clomping its way over to the pod.

"Aw, what a pity. That would have been nice." She teased at Soma as the boy in the pod finally came to life. He groaned as he sat up from the liquid, running a hand through his dark brown spiky short hair. As it hit the light they could see the subtle hue of red in its strands. Once his hand moved away it reveals chocolate brown eyes and peach colored skin. Once he settled himself Aimee placed a hand on his shoulder, making Soma fight off the urge to grit his teeth. "Ron... Ron."

The boy finally looked up to her, following the sound of her voice. "Hey Aimee..."

"It's time to get up." She gently soothed to him. Then blasted some of the pod liquid at him with her other hand in an attempt to wake him up.

"Heh, knock it off, Aimee." He chucked, shielding his face with his hand. He splashed her back, but soon got tired out. "Are the others..."

"They're getting up as we speak. You mustn't keep them waiting." As Aimee spoke, the buck went to gently rest its head on Ron's other shoulder, maneuvering its antlers so they didn't poke him.

"Terra..." Ron tiredly greeted the buck with joy, gently rubbing its head. Then he turned to address Aimee again. "Where are all of the-"

"Enough with the bantering, this is going to take all day if this keeps up." Soma rudely interrupted, losing his patience. But he was right, there were still one other to wake up.

"Don't forget to pack." Aimee simply instructed as she left the room with the others to let him do his thing. But as she moved on to the next room she laughed at Soma's outburst back then. "Ha! You are totally jealous!"

"Enough with your nonsense. I simply wanted the process to move along since we're stretched for time." Soma huffed as an excuse. "I don't care what you do with other guys."

"Well that's good for you since there's one more member left, Soma, so be patient." Aimee teased at Soma as they entered the last room, which had a raven in the room whose deep blue feathers looked like armor as well. Its eyes glowed violet as a green core rested proudly in the center of its chest. It paid them no mind as it rested its feet on the pod itself, only moving when Aimee opened the pod where it moved to the pod's rim.

Unlike the others, the occupant inside the pod was already dressed unlike the others who had on hospital gowns. She wore a plum colored body suit that clung to her curves like a second skin. Her body build was similar to Aimee's but she was slimmer. Her skin was pale in color which brought out her spring blue eyes. Her golden blonde hair was cut into a clean bobcut that started long in the front and grew shorter towards the back. Her facial expression was hard and cold as stone. Even her movement seemed calculated as she rose up from the pod.

"Nonna, the others will be here soon." That was all Aimee needed to say for Nonna to get out of her pod and head for her chest. It would seem that she had pre-packed before going under a cryogenic sleep, as she pulled out an already packed backpack from the chest. Placing it on the floor than moved on to something else from the chest. Pulling out straps with tiny containers attached to them was nothing special to the First Unit, that was a norm to them, even as she strapped them to her upper arms, waist, and her left thigh. But what did catch them off guard was when she pulled out a rifle that looked like a prehistoric F-type Pistol FrzDvn. She cocked it open to make sure it hadn't rusted then loaded it up again. "Nonna, we're relocating."

"Well this is a shocking development." Nonna replied with a heavy Russian accent. Once she was prepared to move out, the raven creature in the room flew to Nonna's shoulder and rested there. "Is this orders from HQ?"

"The UN is gone. A new power is now in charge." Aimee somberly informed.

"!"

"I hope I didn't miss anything on the briefing." Kamali interrupted as she entered the room, leaving her giant partner to wait outside. She now dawned a green African traditional gown, that reached above her ankles. There was a slit on the right side to provide leeway for moving just like Sakuya's skirt, but blue short shorts made sure to cover her modesty. The top of the gown had a square neckline with short sleeves as golden designs depicting the plains of Africa dawned all around the gown. She wore little jewellery, just three golden bracelets on her left wrist and a necklace made of river stone and animal teeth bones like her partner's, and a simple pair of brown strap sandles. But in her left arm rested a heavy shield while a large whip hung strapped on a belt on the right side of her waist. The young woman had lovely proportions but it was an obvious conclusion that she was a bottom heavy, judging by her strong legs.

"It would be unwise for her to do that." The silent Azuma had stated with his surprisingly smooth voice. Amon had finally settled down to rest on Azuma's shoulder. "It would only make her repeat herself again."

He was wearing what looked at lot similar to the Black Battle Top and Black Formal Bottom back in the Terminals. But on the left side of his belt laid a strapped katana. The pack on his back was small, showing that he travelled light.

"Oh come on then, mate, don't be so stiff in the face." Jack exasperated to Azuma, carrying his snake partner around his neck and shoulders. He looks like he was wearing a Papish Snazz Top and Soiree Roughs, but a giant boomerang was strapped to the back of his belt. "It wouldn't kill you every once in a while to show some expression."

"Hey! I got everybody here, Aimee. Anzi, you're blocking the way, move over!" Yummie pouted at the giant as she squeezed her way passed to get inside the room. She looked like she was wearing a Red Assault Coat, showing off her still developing body. She also wore something that looked like a Wild Zoisite Bottom with Red Formal Bottom boots. Her golden monkey hung along her hip as its tail curled around her petite waist. On her back hung a heavy backpack and an even larger ring blade. "Did I miss anything?"

"Good grief, girl. Could you fit the whole facility in your backpack? Why are you carrying so much?" Ron sighed as he maneuvered his around Yummie's backpack, avoiding her sharp blade on her back. His deer partner was forced to wait outside along with Anzi due to its size and the limited space in the room. Ron was now sporting what looked to be a Vivid Currant Top and Earthy Snazz Pants. He had a knight style sword attached to his belt. But unlike the usual strapping of a sword he had it strapped to his right side, indicating that he was a leftie.

"Good, everyone's present. We're running low on time so I'll make it short." Aimee announced grabbing all of her teammates' attention. "We have not met our objective, the Aragami still thrive."

"!" All their eyes widened in shock, but they remained still for Aimee to go on.

"The UN is no longer currently existing as a new organization has taken its place."

"What about Dr. Nowak?" Yummie asked with a raised hand.

"That information is currently unknown at this time. Due to the current circumstances it is plausible that he is dead."

"Aw snaps, how long have we been knocked out for the old man to be considered 6 feet under?" Jack asked.

"47 years."

"!"

"... Oh shit." Ron stated what they all were thinking.

"Look, I know it's hard to soak all this in so suddenly. But this is not the time for that, there's still so much that needs to be done." Aimee somberly informed to them. "While we were gone, the Aragami have grown in strength and took a good chunk out of the human population. I say we give to them what's been over due. We must take back up our missions again."

"A lovely idea, Aimee." Commented Kamali. "But only an idea at that if we don't have any place to go from here."

"For now we'll follow these nice folks to Fenrir, see what we can find out." Aimee responded, waving a hand toward Lindow, Sakuya, and Soma before going on. "Apparently Fenrir has taken over the place of the UN, so it's our best bet for an up to date data on our enemies. So from now on we have to pick it up from here and start fresh."

"And what of this place, Aimee?" Asked Azuma.

"... We will stick to the proto-call, it's the least we can do as our final orders... We will go under the scenario lines of Code Black."

"!" They gasped, leaving the God Eaters clueless as to what was going on. They all mumbled to themselves as Nonna stepped forward.

"Aimee."

"Do it," Aimee ordered as if giving Nanno an already known command.

Nanno walked over to the computer in her room to access the files. All locks in the system where gone so there was no time needed to be wasted on rebooting and hacking. Nonna surfed through the system with ease like she was playing a piano. But soon the task was done, there was no taking it back. A countdown had been initiated, something was going to happen in 30 minutes.


	5. Chapter 5

I know the story is taking a while to build up, but I promise you it's going to get better.

The Countdown

"What did you do?" Soma said with suspicion.

"Don't worry about it, Heh hahaha." Yummie nervously laughed as she tried to push the three along. "Say, how long do you guys think it'll take to reach your rahn-de-voo?"

"Why?" Sakuya asked as Yummie continued to push them along.

"Ahh, no reason. It's just that if we could get there in say like... 30 minutes would be nice." Yummie insisted.

"What's going to happen in 30 minutes?" Sakuya asked.

"Oh nothing much just, ah-"

"This whole place is gonna blow." Kamali honestly told them, interrupting Yummie in her attempts to sugarcoat the situation. There was no point hiding the info from them, they were professional soldiers, she was sure they could handle the situation with cool and controlled heads.

"What?!" Or not...

"Are you insane?!" Soma growled at Aimee and Nonna.

"Remaining unknown to the public mass was the primary necessity of our existence." Aimee explained to Soma. "It is what we've done for a long time. We gave you our secrets in the principal of handing the lease and all that goes with it over to the new owner. However... the world doesn't need to know about us... It's not ready to know."

"Yeah, but, to blow up this whole place. That's a bit extreme don't you think?" Sakuya commented.

"Hey, no trace, no inquiries." Yummie chimed then looked back at the timer on the monitor. "Speaking of no trace we really need to get going."

"You know what, Yummie, you guys go on ahead." Aimee ordered nonchalantly.

"What?" Soma blurted out in disbelief.

"I've got some toys I want to save. Ron, Kamali, with me."

"Got it," "Alright." Ron and Kamali both replied.

"But Aimee-"

"Go. We'll follow behind you soon." Aimee interrupted Sakuya's concern. When a giant roar range through the halls.

"!"

"Crikes, what the hell was that?!" Jack queried. Their animals had gotten restless at the noise, even the gentle giant, much to Aimee's notice.

"It's an Aragami."

"What, like, right now?" Yummie said in a stupor.

"It's here..." Soma informed in a dazed as his eyes looked beyond to the Vajra coming from behind the corner.

"Holy crap, is that an Aragami?! They must have taken some serious steroids while we've been gone." Ron laughed in disbelief.

"It must have came from the transport docks in the second basement floor." Nonna concluded. "The noise must have attracted it."

"Get going guys, we've got this!" Aimee ordered.

"Don't be ridiculous, you can't fight a Vajra." Soma growled. "You don't even have a weapon."

"I am a weapon." Aimee stated, getting into a fighting stance. "Yummie, get going!"

"Try to save Mamba, okay?" Yummie hastily asked as she pushed the God Eaters toward the stairs with more vigour. The Vajra roars at her in challenge.

That's when it happened... their hair... their eyes. Soma could sense the change in power and Oracle Cells they all experienced as their eyes changed into a crimson red and their hair became a platinum white. Aimee created a gust of wind as she quickly shifted her fists to be by her hip as she bent her knees.

"I will not be denied!" Aimee barked before she charged at the Vajra, with Duke not too far behind.

Ron had joined the fight with them, along with Terra. He pulled out his sword as Aimee landed the first punch on the Vajra, creating a crater in the wall from its impact. Kamali had joined in the fray too. Pulling out her whip with a crack, aiming only for the Vajra. Soma would've watched to see more, but the others had pushed him and Lindow and Sakuya up the stairs by the time Anzi entered the fight. The gentle beast had turns into a ball of concentrated rage. It had grown in size and glowed with red along with its eyes as it charged at the Vajra with a roar.

"What are you doing?! They're going to get themselves killed!" Soma growled at the other remaining four.

"They'll follow behind," Azuma informed. "They had more than enough fighting power for that."

"To be honest, they're the ones having all the fun." Jack grinded, earning a huff from Nonna.

" Hmph, I'll say."

"Aw, don't be upset, Nonna." Yummie chimed. "You'll get your turn next time around."

"Hmph!" Nonna grinned.

"They're fighting a useless fight." Soma ridiculed. "That Vajra will keep coming back unless they can extract its core."

"That's what our PARs are for, Silly." Yummie explained. "They're cultivated in the form of various animal species and trained by one person alone to be attached and loyal to them. They fight alongside us and eat the core once the fight is done. Don't you guys have something like that?"

"Our God Arc." Sakuya answered with the wiggle of her gun God Arc. "They halt the re-fusion of Oracle Cells and allow us to extract the Aragami's cores. Each God Arc is made for a specific person and can only be touched by that one person."

"Whoa, that sounds awesome. But I prefer my spunky monkey." Yummie cheered with a screech from Momo.

"Why the weird name? They're just your pets." Soma questioned.

"They're more than just pets, they're our partners." Azuma corrected.

"They've been with us through so many things that they deserved better than just a subservient title." Nonna explained.

"That's why we call them PARs. Partner Animal Right-hands." Yummie added in. "Cute, right?"

"And the makeover?" Soma referred to their hair and eyes.

"Side effects from the experiments. It happens when ever we reach for a power boost inside." Azuma explained.

"Why are you reaching for one now?" Lindow questioned.

"Just in case we run into some trouble along the way. Now lead the way." Yummie said as they had finally left the facility. Knowing that the rest would be up to them now, Lindow and his team lead the others to the rahn-de-voo point for their Chopper ride which was on its way in three minutes.

They ended up having to run for the Chopper by the end of it as they were going into overtime. They had all rushed into the Chopper, much to the pilot's surprise.

"Hey guys, what's the holdup? Who are these guys?"

"Long story, John. We need to wait for a few more people." Lindow informed.

"There's more?!"

"No need. Just hover for a little bit so they can follow." Yummie waved off.

"What?" Lindow questioned as a Carrier came from behind the facility, making a long turn to follow the Chopper.

"That's them. Let's go, go, go." Jack insisted. "Time is an issue, guys."

Confused the pilot took off, slightly uncomfortable with a giant Carrier following behind him.

"In 3... 2... 1." Nonna counted out with a sigh.

Boom

The explosion went off behind them, gong off like a display of wild fireworks as a wave of heat flew at them. One thing was for sure, there was nothing left behind.

"Well that happened, so, where are we going now?" Yummie nonchalantly asked.

"The Far East Branch," Soma answered.

"Where?"

"Japan." Sakuya explained.

"Really?! Hey did you here that, Azuma, you're going home!" Yummie cheered, earning a grunt from Azuma.

"Mph."

"By the way," Yummi said toward the three God Eaters. "Who are you guys?"


	6. Chapter 6

Beware the fear of what's different, sometimes it leads us to things we'll regret later on.

The Judgement

The ride back was long and tiring. It had been a long mission and a long day for all of them. The First Unit had found more than they had bargain for. Some secret files from the past, unknown primordial bases for God Eaters, human contrived Aragami, and a Carrier carrying God knows what following behind them. Soma didn't know whether this mission was a success or a failure. All that he knew was that he had picked up a lot of baggage.

In the Carrier behind them, Ron piloted with Kamali as his co-pilot. Aimee had lacked the plotting training so she stuck with checking and securing the cargo and the PARs. They had a lot of things they wanted to save before the facility detonated. It was a good thing Anzi was there to help carry the heavier stuff or else they wouldn't have been able to get it all in time. The trip had been long and tiring, it had been nightfall by the time they reached the Far East Branch. Aimee had no idea what to expect when they touched down, she was putting a lot of trust in these strangers. But... they were the ones to awaken them, she would follow them for now. And she will see where this goes.

But what they didn't expect was to be surround by on edge God Eaters the moment they landed. Apparently their PARs were picked up on the Branch's radars and considered some new form of Aragami. They were on edge making the seven Guardians on edge, things got worse when Anzi walked out of the Carrier's dock to join Kamali. The God Eaters gasped in horror.

"Oh my God, what the hell is that thing?!" Shun shouted.

"Holy shit." Karel so elegantly stated...

"Guys, chill." Lindow ordered, keeping the peace. "They're with us."

"And that 'thing'?" Brendan questioned, pointing at Anzi with his God Arc.

"'His' name is Anzi." Kamali corrected. "And yes, he's with me."

Going the extra mile, Anzi lifted one of his large hands to wave at them as he groaned with a smile. The others didn't know what to think of this, this thing looked like it could toss them around like rag dolls and yet was so uglily cute. Always the first one to break the ice, Dr. Sakaki broke through the barricade of God Eaters to get a closer look at the PARs and their Guardians.

"Amazing! This is the perfect balance of regular genetic coding of the respective selected animal species of our planet and Oracle Cells to halt the Aragami Infection process. And it seems that their predatory behavior has been altered to only prey upon Aragami. The whole process must have taken an extensive amount of research and time." Dr. Sakaki said in awe as he moved from one PAR to another. "This is superb! I must know how they work among humans!"

"Easy Doc, " Lindow chuckled. "You can ask them about that later."

"No need," Aimee interrupted. "The data about them and us are on the disk I gave you, Lindow."

"Fascinating," Dr. Sakaki stated, bringing his attention to Aimee. "And what exactly are you?"

"A Guardian." She simply answered.

"Lovely title. But a guardian to what? Mankind? Or the Earth itself?"

"?" Dr. Sakaki was only looking at her from side to side when he suddenly stuck a needle in her, injecting a blood sample from her.

"!" The others gasped in shock at Dr. Sakaki's bold move. Duke growled in great protest to his action as the other got on the offensive.

"Oi, mate!" Jack barked, pulling out his boomerang. While the others pulled out their weapons.

"What the hell are you doing old man?!" Shouted Ron.

"Sorry, I get carried away when I get too excited." Dr. Sakaki nervously chuckled with his usual grin, rubbing the back of his head.

"Lower your weapons." Tatsumi ordered at them as their actions got the other God Eaters to go on the offensive as well.

"P-please come with us peacefully." Kanon shlyly asked. "We don't want to fight you."

"Nor should you," Azuma answered back, getting into a low wakagame.

"We'd total kick your butts." Yummie jabbed, holding her ring blade around herself like a hula hoop.

"Ooh, is that a challenge?" Gina cooed.

"It can if you want it to be." Nonna answered, cocking her gun. The tension was getting too high.

"Put away your weapons," Aimee ordered. "Just give them what they want."

"B-but, Aimee," Yummie whined.

"Do it guys," Aimee demanded. "We'll humor them... for now."

"..." With a little reluctance her team put away their weapons and their PARs calmed down.

"Glad to hear that you guys will cooperate with us." Dr. Sakaki grinned at them. "Now if you all would come with me, we'll look through the data you gave us and see what the Director will do with you."

*** Training Center ***

Dr. Sakaki had them all temporarily camped out in the Training Room as him, Director Johannes, and the First Unit observed them through the glass window in the upper monitoring room. The Director and Paylor had been looking through the files as the Guardians lazed along the rooms platform. They tiredly lounged about the room with their PARs close by as they waited for the Den to make the next move.

"...And you said you found them all in pods?" The Director questioned Lindow as he looked through the Unit's mission report.

"Yup."

"They appeared to have been kept in a cryogenic state by a Oracle Cell enhanced mixture." Sakuya explained into further detail. "According to them, their aging has been halted for 47 years."

"47 years you say? But the oldest data we have on the appearance of Oracle Cells only dates back to the 50s."

"Fascinating, isn't it." Dr. Sakaki happily chimed. "We are possibly uncovering new information about our devouring neighbors on the other side of our walls that we had never known before. It's quite possible that they have been present among us longer than we've known in bacterial form."

"..."

"And look what our past generation has done to fight them." Dr. Sakaki gestured down to the Guardians on the other side of the glass. "These kids have been injected with Oracle Cell enhancement to oppose this up coming threat. And according to the files, so was their equipment embedded with it. But from the examining one of their blood samples I discovered that they were not injected with some form of P53 Bias Factor, nor even a P73 Bias Factor."

"!" The news came as a shock to them all, the mention of P73 had made Soma flinch.

"They appeared to have injected inside enbetween that. Something I like to call P63 Bias Factor."

"What does it do?" The Director questioned. Before explaining further, Dr. Sakaki interrogated Lindow.

"You said at some point they change, yes?"

"Yeah, their hair turned platinum and their eyes went red."

"Hm, fascinating. So far, from the data, I would say they're a mix of each Bias Factor. They have the strength and regenerative ability of a P53 dosage without the need of annual injections. They're stronger than most P53 injectees, but not as strong as the P73's. And the physical change in features must be the effect of controlled power boost similar to the P73. But unlike the P73 it's a temporary boost and effect while will eventually fade depending on the amount of stamina they have."

"All good and well, Doctor. But I fail to see how their weapons are able to extract cores after the task is done. Their struggles seem fruitless." The Director countered.

"That's when their artificial Aragami come into play, or as the record calls them, PARs." Dr. Sakaki's face literally squished onto the window in excitement. "It was their job to fight along side their human counterpart and devour the cores once the fight was done. "

"So what you're saying is that we relied on these monsters to fight other monsters?" Soma mocked with a grunt. "Disgusting."

"Don't be so pessimistic, Soma." Dr. Sakaki lectured. "Each one of these PARs were mostly matched to their human partners by similar Oracle Cells the same way you guys were to your God Arcs. They had trained together, fought together, and from what you reported they even looked after their partner's sleeping body. They have the means to form bonds; and unlike our God Arcs, the ability to express loyalty and affection. They all have the similar genetic structure and appearance of one of our planet's animal species. But what really baffles me is-"

"Ahh, do you mind?! Your staring is starting to creep me out!" Yummie shouted up at them, thinking that they wouldn't hear her. The shout caused Dr. Sakaki to jump back, nervously laughing in embarrassment.

" We can hear you just fine there's no need to shout." Johannes said to her through the speakers.

"Ohhh... well you should still stop staring. It's rude."

"Eh haha, sorry little lady." Dr. Sakaki chuckled an apology. "I just got little excited at the intellect advancement our past generation had on us that we had lost. And your PARs, mind boggling! They all resemble animals, except for that one."

"?" They all looked as he pointed to Anzi, who responded by giving him a slow wave.

"You must mean Anzi." Kamali answered. "He is the product of human DNA and Oracle Cells. The white coats wanted to see what effects it would have."

"Human DNA? It looks like a corpse!" Soma shot out.

"Watch your mouth, foolish boy!" Kamali spat back at him with a hiss.

"!" Soma couldn't believe that she was so angry over a monster, let alone why the others got angry as well was almost ridiculous that monster looked a little sad at being called what it is.

"Sorry about my teammate." Lindow stepped in, trying to keep the peace. "You must have known the person the DNA sample came from."

"... My sister." Kamali answered.

"?!"

"The poor child fell to one of the many diseases of the jungle. All I had left of her was the dried up blood on a rag she coughed out, thus gave birth to Anzi." Kamali explained. "I gave him her name, and a part of her. So that I will always have piece of her near by."

"That's a little distasteful."Commented the Director, bringing Kamali to look him in the eyes.

"Would you not do the same thing? Have you not loved someone so much that you would go through any lengths to preserve even a piece of them?"

"... Yes... I would..."

"?" They all stared at the Director in question out of his sudden display of emotion, Paylor looked on in concern.

"But enough of that. Who among you is Leader?"

"Until my unfortunate demise, that would be me." Aimee answered, standing up from her seat on the platform. Looking up at them with a fist resting on her hip.

"Your name is Aimee, yes? Can you tell me when you became a 'Guardian'?"

"2021."

"How can your group even exist? Our latest records of Aragami's appearance only go back to the 50s."

"Your records are mistaken, the Aragami appeared on this world in 2019."

"?!"

"They came down upon celestial rocks, during a massive meter shower that lasted for two days. They were spread worldwide as bacteria and thrived in our rich geosphere. Quickly climbing up the evolution change in less than a year as they took on a more massive form."

"And why were you all sent into cryogenic sleep?"

"To hide and fade away from history until we were needed again."

"Are you all original byproducts of Oracle Cell Research?"

"No, we are the results of further research from the original prototypes."

"And who might they be?"

"Number 2, Rose Mora-Corazon, age 23, Spatha wielder, hailing from Colombia of the South America." But then her voice became bitter. "And Seth Rothwood, long sword wielder, age 23, from Washington of North America, number 1..."

"What made them so different than you all?"

"They were the first." Aimee simply shrugged. "Given an experimental dosage higher than we were. Call it P70, if you will. They were stronger than us all, but had permanent physical side-effects. O I could remember them now like it was only yesterday. Rose's porcelain skin, rare for her region. Her gentle face, her raven hair, even her naturally redden lips. Her blue eyes had permanently been changed to crimson. And Seth... he kept his green eyes, but his onyx hair had permanently been changed to a platinum white. One of them would have been leader in my stead, number 3 for that matter, if they were still around."

"Number 3?"

"Charlie Bruno-Levi, dual blader from Brazil of South America... age 16... killed in action."

"With so few in numbers did your superiors find the Aragami such a minor threat that they refused to increase your ranks, even after losing three of you to the Aragami?"

"None of the Guardians have been lost to the Aragami."

"?!" The others did not expect that answer.

"Well then, how did they die?" Director Johannes pressed, much to Aimee's bitter reply and the hated disgust painted on her team's faces.

"Rose was killed as a needed sacrifice for a greater mankind. She was blown up along with a hoard of Aragami by our HQ... even though she was winning... And Charlie was killed by number 1 on the field as he fell into madness and went AWAL. He had given us trouble for a period of time before he permanently went off the grid."

"Why would number 1 do this?"

"He loved her, sir."

"?!"

"The fact that they had sent her out there just to die had cause him to give up on mankind."

"But you have no physical proof that he's dead. He could be walking among us as an old man."

"He is dead." Aimee had said so sternly, clenching her fists as she crossed he arms. "I pray with my every being that he is dead."

"You seem to hold a lot of malice toward this 'Seth'."

"That is because he is a traitor." She turned her head to the side as the venom leaked from her words, her hair smacking with her head motion like a whip. "And I am not sorry if my words displease you. He was a traitor to his team, a traitor to his race, and a traitor to his damn self."

"And what if he still lives?"

"Ha!" Aimee laughed at his words, turning her back toward them. "Then you better pray that time has weakened him. Because we'd be in deep pickles."

"..."

"No more questions then, sir?"

"It seems odd that you're being so compliant."

"Do I have a reason not to be?"

"?"

"My organization is gone, and the world has gone into such disarray that this information can no longer cause any harm." Aimee waved off, tilting her head as she continued. "So, now that your God Eaters have brought us here and you have your information, what do you plan to do with us now?"

"Have you pledge your loyalties to Fenrir and join our cause."

"Our loyalties lie to a dead organization. What else do you offer?" Aimee stated, placing one of her hands back on he hip as the other laid limp.

"You don't really have choice this matter. We're the only protection you have outside these walls, and the only food and shelter you can find. You'd best see that we're your only chance of survival in this world is with us, little girl-"

"Heh hahaha hehhaha! Little girl?! I'm 66 years old, I haven't been a kid since I was 16." Aimee laughed out, interrupting the Director. "And besides..."

"!" They all took a step back in shock as she had jumped all the way to the window, holding on by the upper wall. Her eyes crimson and her raven hair platinum now.

"We will always have a choice." She sternly stated. "Please understand that we only came here out of courtesy. We can leave any time we want with hardly any trouble. We don't eat much anymore and we can survive among the wasteland. We can disappear and fade away if we wished, so your walls mean nothing to us. Our loyalty cannot nearly be bought so easily. You have to promise something worth our wild. You have nothing of ours you can promise to protect, nor are you someone we'd willing follow. There are only two men I take orders from in this world, and sadly you're not one of them."

"..."

"What? No bargain? Well then, I guess we'll be on our wa-"

"Preservation."

"Beg your pardon?"

"You have been out of the game for quite a while, you know little to nothing on how the world works now. Also most of the cultures of your time has die out through the destruction and rampage. All remaining knowledge of the things that differentiated us from beast will disappear along with you."

"!"

"If you stay and fight with us, we will educate you on the world today and promise to document your knowledge of the past so we'll never lose it again."

"... So it's either preserve history or disappear with it... you really know how to play your cards..."

"..."

"(Sigh) Oh alright. It's a deal."

"Heh, glad to be working with you." The Director smirked. "I have high hopes for you, Guardians."


	7. Chapter 7

Thanks for the wait.

The Test Drive

The day was a new day, and the Entrance was busseling with God Eaters getting ready for another day's work. Some busied themselves at the Terminals, others gathered their mission information at the front desk from Hibari. A new rookie had just got done passing his Amplitude Test and was now officially a Gods Eater of the Far East Branch. He had tested as a Gunner Gods Eater, and had found his preference for Assault Type God Arcs.

And now he sat at the Entrance's benches, waiting for someone to instruct him to his next task at hand as he was instructed. He sat there with as much patience he could muster, kicking his feet as he waited. That's when he felt someone coming in close to him. Aimee had walked into the Entrance to wait for Lindow and Nonna to go on a test mission assigned by Fenrir.

Noticing that Lindow and Nonna had not shown up yet, she decided to sit by the boy sitting on the lower floor's bench. He had an air of goodness and innocence around him that she had the urge to sit beside him instead of by herself. The young man noticed her sitting beside him, looking straight ahead of herself without batting an eye at him. He tried to not pay attention to the strange... dog... hanging around her. It seemed friendly enough, no matter how strange it looked. The silence was making him feel awkward, he had to break the thickening ice.

"Hey... you want some gum?"

"?" Aimee titled her head at him at his random question. Looking through his pockets he tried to look for his friendly gift, but could find no gum.

"Looks like I used the last piece... sorry..."

"That's alright, the thought was sweet of you." Aimee smiled at him, wipping away any nervousness the boy might had felt.

"I am Kota Fujiki." The boy introduced himself.

"I'm Amiee. And this right here is Duke." She introduced herself, giving Kota a slight bow in respect with a hand on her chest. Duke had moved closer to Kota for him to nervously pet Duke on the head, but he got more comfortable with Duke as Duke happily wagged his tail. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Kota."

"So... you're a match too."

"?"

"That makes the two of us. You must be my age or maybe a little older."

'A lot older,' Aimee thought to herself.

"But I'm still your senior by a nanosecond."

"(Chuckle) And you'll be my senior for longer than that, because I am not a Gods Eater."

"Wha?" He would have asked for more detail if the footsteps of another woman approaching them didn't interrupt him. "?"

"Stand up." The woman ordered.

"Huh?" Kota raised an eyebrow at her sudden demand, while Aimee raised an eyebrow at the audacity that she was being ordered by someone less than half her age. But Kota would never know that.

"I said stand up! On your feet!" The woman ordered again with more authority. Kota shot up immediately in fear, while Aimee simply sat up to humor her.

"I'm on a tight schedule so I'll keep it short. My name is Tsubaki Amamiya and as of today I'll be your advisor." The woman introduced herself. "This is your schedule- after your check up you'll complete a full curriculum of basic training, basic combat, as well as weapon/armory clinic."

"Seems like you have a busy day planned for us, Ms. Amamiya." Aimee commented with a chuckle.

"We are the ones who have been protecting you up until now. But from this day forward, you'll be the ones doing the protecting." Maybe Tsubaki was right... at least on the second hand level. After all, she had been sleeping for a long time, Fenrir must have been keeping the Aragami in check in order for the Aragami to leave her alone for such a long time.

"If you don't want to die over something stupid then answer everything I say with a yes. Understood?" Such cold and demanding orders... reminded Aimee of time when she was training as a Guardian. "Answer me!"

"Yes ma'am!" "!" Kota and Aimee confirmed together.

"Alright, let's start with a Medical checkup. You've already had your checkup so we'll start with you." Tsunami said to Aimee before turning to Kota. "Report to Dr. Sakaki's lab at 1500 hours. While you, Aimee, should continue to wait for Lindow to come to start your mission. Before then, take a tour of the facility until then. This is your home now, the Far East Branch, a.k.a the 'Den.' Make sure to pay your respects to your new team."

"Yes ma'am." They both complied to Tsubaki walked off.

"Ahh, well, it's been nice meeting you both, Aimee, Duke." Kota said, stretching a little. "But, I think I'll take Tsubaki up on her advice and go meet up with the other God Eaters in the Den."

"Hm, you should do that. The people here are actually pretty nice."

"Ah, that's good to know." Kota then walked off, giving Aimee a farewell salute. "Later, Aimee."

"Heh, later, Kota." She waved back at him as he left to the elevator. Just then Nonna and her par had come out of the elevator as Kota went in. She got a lot of turns from the guys in the Entrance, Aimee did too but she didn't care enough to notice. And one of the guys was brave enough to approach Nonna.

"Woe, hey there, gorgeous." He said like a smooth boy. "Any chance that you'd like to go get a bite to eat with me-"

"No thanks," Nonna instantly rejected without even skipping a step. "I'd rather not become a cradle robber."

"?" The poor boy was stumped by her odd reply and wandered off in a stupor.

"Ha, well look at you." Aimee teased with a smirk as Nonna made her way toward Aimee. "Only here for a day and already striking like a cougar."

"Spare me, Aimee." Nonna sighed out, barely changing her expression as she rolled her eyes. "All the guys here are far too young for me. The closest one that possibly reaches my age is him." She said, pointing at Gen further back from hearing range.

"What the others don't know won't hurt anybody. Besides, we still have the mind and body set of teenagers so the time different shouldn't even play into account."

"Should we put you on the amber alert?" Nonna joked around with a straight face, earning a playful push from Aimee.

"Oh, shush up. Where on Earth is Lindow anyway?"

"He should be here soon." Nonna replied, just as Lindow came out of the elvator. "Ah, speak of the devil."

"Don't! He might actually appear!" Aimee said, half jokingly and half serious.

"Oh, Lindow!" Hibari called out to him as she noticed him coming down the stairs. "The Director told me that if I saw you to tell you to come and see him."

"Okay," Lindow continued walking. "Tell him you didn't see me."

Aimee couldn't help but chuckle at his free spirit, it was a freshing sight to see. Finally Lindow came up to them, a little late but he did show up none the less. Aimee was one who wasn't ruled by time anyway.

"Hey guys, sorry I'm late." Lindow waved at them. "So, this will be your first mission here. According to Fenrir I'm your superior officer, but that's not important to me and is most likely not important to you."

Both of the girls just shrugged him off.

"All I'm asking is for you guys to become someone I know will have my back."

"That sounds reasonable." "Request accepted." Aimee and Nonna confirmed with a nod. Just as they had agreed with Lindow, Sakuya had come down the stairs. Her heels clicking as she came their way.

"Hey, Lindow. Oh, are you taking the new guys out too?"

"Yeah, and I'm pounding them with all our severe rules so take a hike Sakuya." Lindow joked around with her.

"Yes sir, big boss sir." She teased back before giving them a goodbye wave. "Azuma and Kamali are waiting for me at the Fallen Angel Egg mission anyway. Later, guys."

They waved goodbye to her back until she had left the floor.

"So anyway that's about it." Lindow said, getting back to the conversation at hand. "Alright. I'll be sending you into battle right now... but as you know I'll be accompanying you on this mission. The Director wants to see what you guys can do before he sends you out solo. Think of it as a warm-up after a long time out of the game. Hey, would you look at the time. We're heading out now guys!"

*** City of Mercy ***

"Boy, this place has seen better times, huh?" Lindow commented as the girls took a look at the world after a long time of slumber.

"Indeed, this place has gone poorly since the last time we've been here. Azuma mustn't be pleased about this." Aimee replied as Nonna nodded in agreement.

"Oh, yeah... you guys probably saw this place in its prime." Lindow nervously rubbed the back of his head, before he coughed the awkwardness away. "Okay ladies, we're going to start the simulation now. You've got three orders..."

"..."

"Don't die. If your numbers up, get out. Lastly hide. If you're lucky, catch the enemy off guard and blast it." He paused for a moment. "Wait, was that four?"

"I believe the last part counts as advice, it still is considered three orders." Nonna replied with a smirk while Aimee quietly giggled. Either way, Lindow did his job at releaving the tension.

"Oh, yeah? Well that's good to know for the future. But the bottom line is you gotta survive. Just follow those orders and everything else will be fine." Both of them nodded at him in confirmation. "Alright, let'd get this show on the road!"

"Right!" "Yes sir!" Aimee and Nonna nodded in confirmation.

"Alright, let's go, relax." Lindow eased to them.

"Let's go Duke." Aimee said to Duke who responde with a bark as they jumped off the Starting Point. Nonna following right behind her with her par.

"Storm," Nonna called over to her par who jumped off his perch on Nonna's shoulder to glide beside her.

They took a right in the alleyway where they were greeted by a Ogretail that was making its way to the building with the broken clock. But turned to them as it heard them coming its way, growling at them before marching its way toward them.

"Tell me," Aimee called out to Lindow as they prepared themselves. "What exactly do you guys call this type of Aragami?"

"This guy is an Ogretail."

"An Ogretails? Huh, that sounds more humble than what we christine them."

"What did you call them?"

"Devil Walkers," Nonna simply answered.

Nonna went for a quick shot kill, but the Ogretail jumped back and away from the shot. But it was an easy 1-2-3 dash punch from Aimee that took it down. The Ogretail was dead before Lindow could even get a strike in.

"Well that was easy. Now all we have to do is extract the..." But Lindow slowly came to a stop as Duke's mouth turned into something similar to his God Arc. Duke took a massive bite out of the Ogretail, extracting the core. His mouth slowly turning back to normal as the core went down its throat and faded away into his stomach. "Core..."

"Good job, Duke." Aimee praised to Duke who bark back, wagging his tail as she rubbed his head.

"Heh, is that enough of a warm-up for you, Lindow?" Nonna smirked at Lindow as he and Storm salvage whatever they could from the fallen Ogretail.

"Ha, I guess I underestimated the original Aragami Slayers." Lindow chuckled, rubbing the back of his head as the girls began to chuckle with him. But then a loud shreek rang out through the area. "Whoa, looks like we got more company than expected."

The roar was coming from the Aragami entrance area of the church... along with gun shots. The team picked up their pace, thinking that somebody was in trouble, only to be surprised by Sakuya and her group taking on a Zygote. Sakuya was firing at it while Kamali whipped the Aragami to the ground and Azuma finished it off with a dash thrust-slice.

"Looks like you guys didn't need our help."

"Lindow?!" Sakuya gasped at seeing him here with his team. "What are you doing here? Our team was assign to this section."

"So was ours. I guess the Director wanted to kill two birds with one stone, by observing as many Guardians as he could at a time while cleaning out a whole section."

"I suppose..." Sakuya reluctantly accepted as an answer, looking down as Amon took a big bite out of the Zygote for the core while Aimee poked at the Zygote's remains and Kamali curiously kicked at it. Azuma and Nonna looked at it with curiosity as well.

"What kind of strange Aragami is this?" Aimee asked aloud.

"It's called a Zygote. They're known for their amazing hearing." Sakuya answered. "Didn't you guys run into this Aragami back in your day?"

"No." Azuma answered, leaving it to Kamali to explain.

"We only had to deal with Devil Walkers and Nightmare Trimmers."

"Nightmare Trimmers?"

"You know, the Aragami that only move by digging tunnels in the ground, usually by night." Aimee explained.

"Oh, Cocoon Maidens!" Sakuya corrected. "Well there are a lot more diverse Aragami out there than that now."

"Hmph," Aimee smirked. "Looks like we've got our work cut out for us."

"So, Azuma." Kamali called out to him, immediately drawing his attention to her. "How does it feel to be finally back to your home land? Is it anything like you remember?"

"... This place has become a dump."

"I'm so sorry my friend..." Kamali apologized, sending a loving caress down his cheek in comfort.

"It's not your fault... it's the Aragami's."

*** The Entrance ***

"Looks like you handled yourself well." The Director complimented to Aimee as he looked through their mission reports.

"The Aragami didn't even pose a challenge." Aimee grinned at him from her seat in the lounge area. Her arms were crossed along with her legs as she sat across from Nonna.

"Seems like you guys could use more of a challenge." He commented, closing up their folder with the pressing of his fingers. "How about one more mission for today, just you two this time."

"?" They both turned their head toward him with peaked curiosity.

"We're listening." Aimee replied to him, encouraging him to continue explaining.

"Multiple Ogretails have gathered in the Grasslands. Eliminated them before they pose a threat." Johannes explained. "Oh, and be careful, a Vajra might be in the area."

"Vajra? Is that the one that looks like a tiger?"

(Chuckle) I suppose it does."

"Ooh, then this is going to be fun."

"We will leave immediately." Nonna replied him. Her answer brought a grin to his face.

"Good luck."

*** Wailing Plains ***

Nonna and Amiee had stood in the raining plains alone, looking out at the field with its forever twirling twister. Or so they thought... the Director had sent a small research unit to observe and record them during this mission from a distance. He wanted to see their potential with his own eyes.

The rain was cold and a chill blew with the wind. But Aimee didn't mind it, she loved the shiver the rain drops sent through her spine. Her clothes started to cling to her like a second skin and her hair weighed her down, but she didn't care. The whole thing reminded her of happy times. Beautiful memories... that... were long gone.

No. She didn't have time for this, the Aragami weren't going to destroy themselves.

"This is it, Nonna. Are you ready?"

"Hmph, right."

"Then let's go get'em. Like old times."

"With pleasure." Nonna grinned as they jumped off of the Starting Point with their pars.

As soon as they touched down they split into separate directions. Nonna went to the left, Aimee to the right. Aimee had walked almost half way around the area until she found her first prey... the Vajra. The giant kitty roared at her before charging its way toward her. She knocked it back with a hard kick to the face, followed by a combo of punches. The Vajra did not take that well, Amiee got a bad feeling about this when the hairs in the back of her head began to stick up.

Then it struck, lightning struck. Surrounding the Vajra as it roared to the sky, Aimee was knocked back by the shock.

"Ahh!" She cried out as the shock coursed through her veins. She fell pack and rolled on the ground as she came to a stop on her side. She laid there for a good second as the rain poured down. Her hand began to change platinum as she got onto her knees.

"Heh ha hahaha. You're good, I think I might actually enjoy this." Her hair wacked to the side as she turned to the Vajra with crimson eyes. "So make this last for me, okay?"

She dashed onto her feet, going for a combo punch to its face. It tried to get her with its bolt spheres, but she was too close for it to reach her. Continuing her bombardment on its face she delivered one final round house kick to the face, thus breaking its face armor.

The Vajra tried to get away to the nearest salvaging to recover some of its strength. But Amiee was not going to let it get away... not even with the Ogretail charging her way. Duke kept the Ogretail occupied while Aimee went after the Vajra. It tried to get her again with its shock sphere, but she punched the attack out of it making it knock back instead. While it was still in a daze, Aimee delivered a round slide kick thus destroying its leg armor. The force from her attack knocked the Vajra off its feet. From behind, the Ogretail was also knocked off its feet from her kick attack, allowing Duke to go for the jugular kill.

Suddenly from behind her a shot hit the Vajra while it was down. Aimee turned to see Nonna strolling her way, cocking her gun for another round.

"Sorry. It sounded like you were having all the fun, I was starting to get bored."

"Heh," Aimee smiled back at her as Nonna began to change platinum and crimson. "I'm willing to share."

The Vajra never had a chance as the girls bombarded it with relentless attacks. The Aragami went down, Storm extracted the core with his merciless beak.

"God! That was such a rush!"

"Let's take care of the other ones before our boost wears off."

"Right behind you, Nonna."

The last three Ogretails had made their way onto the field from climbing down the tumbled over buildings. Aimee got the first one with a three hit combo, they continued running after the other Ogretails while their pars extracted the cores. Nonna had finished the next one off with three shots before Aimee could even reach it. But the last one they defeated together as Nonna knocked it back with a shot while Aimee finished it off with a hard righter.

*** The Director's Office ***

He had watched it all from the comfort of his desk. He couldn't help but smile at how the Guardians had met up to his expectations, perhaps more. They where uncalculated extras that wouldn't be any hinder to his plan.

"Hmph," he hummed out as he chuckled, crossing fingers together under his chin as he rested his elbows on his desk. Not taking his eyes off the screen as the girls started to head back to the Starting Point with their pars, there hair and eyes returning back to normal. "High hopes, indeed."


	8. Chapter 8

Sometimes you have to get to know a person before the social masks break off.

Proto Resonance

Aimee had come to know the various characters of the Den. From the stout Gen, always ready to give some friendly advice to the young blood. To Tsubaki, the cold and strict advisor with a caring heart hidden inside. And Licca the friendly engineer that took care of the God Arcs with an admirable passion. She began to see the God Eaters in a light none that most wouldn't notice until later on. They were all rich with character and thrived on the field with their own unique individuality. Tatsumi was a carefree guy that would go all goofy when Hibari was in the area. Brendan was a strong spirit that got the job done. Then there was Kanon, the girl like double-edged sword. Sweet at times then could turn fierce like a killer. And one couldn't forget Gina, the lovely young lady with an ace shot and a charm that would make a trigger-happy benge seem was not too far behind her when it came to the good shot. The guy may come out as a pretty boy jerk at first, but once you prove your skill to him and got a chance to see pass his exterior he was actually a pretty good guy... A good guy that had a love for a good pay job. Shun could be categorized in the same list too. The guy had bad teamwork skills, and at times could be reckless on the field, but there was a goodness and carefree character behind it all.

They all had a somehow made a way into Aimee's heart, in a matter of days she had seen them all as comrades. And he was sure her other Guardians saw them the same way too. And so here she and Yummie where, making there way to the Wailing Plain's Starting Point with their pars. Meeting up with Sakuya for a mission out in the rain. Aimee had come to expect that this place would always rain... that would be refreshing knowledge to have.

"Oh, you guys finally made it." Sakuya greeted to them with a smile. "It's nice to see you guys again."

"Yellow!" Yummie waved at Sakuya along with Momo.

"Good to see you too, Sakuya. I hope this mission can go as smoothly as the last."

"Heh, glad to see you guys relax. I won't have to worry about you guys freezing up at crucial times." Sakuya chuckled, patting them both on the back before a roar rang out through the plains as if angry for being kept waiting. "Hmph, alright, I'm going to brief you now. During this mission you guys will take the lead. I'll be backing you up from the rear. This is basic strategy for teaming up with a long-distance God Arc so don't forget it. And don't get too far, stay within firing range of your backup. Okay?"

"Pfft, don't worry about it Sakuya-jiejie." Yummie waved off her worries, resting her hands behind her back while kicking her feet in place.

"We're use to dealing with Nonna so you don't have to worry about us." Aimee explained to her.

"Good. You guys do as you are told, I'm counting on you guys." Sakuya smiled at them before turning back to the plains with a serious expression. "Alright, let's begin."

"You got it, Pretty Mama." "Alright." Yummie and Aimee nodded to her as they jumped off the Starting Point.

Again Aimee took the path to the right, and again she had to go halfway around the arena before she spotted their first Aragami. She barely got a chance to get a punch in before Sakuya's shots and Yummie's giant ring blade took the Cocoon Maiden out. Duke stayed behind to devour the core while the others ran ahead to take out the last Cocoon Maiden. It was halfway to the Starting Point on the left side. Wanting to get her shot in, Aimee ran a little ahead of Sakuya to get the first hit. But Yummie was right behind her. Getting playful, Yummie wrapped her ring blade around her and swirl attacked the Cocoon Maiden like a hula hoop. The Cocoon Maiden was down before Sakuya could even take a shot.

"Show mommy what you can do, Momo!" Yummie chimed to her par. Momo shreeked with glee as he jumped from Yummie's shoulders and went for the Cocoon Maiden's core. Duke had made his way to them by the time Momo was done.

"Wow, that was an easy victory." Sakuya cheered.

"Yes, let's go back."

"Yo-okay, I'm getting hungry!" Yummi happily agreed with a raised hand... along with Momo.

"It would be good to go home and freshen up." Sakuya giggled at the two's antics.

*** Back at the Entrance ***

The girls had just made it back from their day's mission, a little soaked for wear but fine none the less. Brendan, Tatsumi, Karel, and Shun were sitting on the floor's couch lounge as they came back.

"So you guys made it back. How did it go?" Brendan asked the ladies out of kind curiosity.

"It went pretty well." Sakuya replied, giving the girls a pat on the back. "These guys are a natural."

"Hmph, then perhaps I was wrong about you ladies." Karel chuckled out, referring to the earlier conversation they had this moment when he said he didn't see anything special about them or the Guardians. "Looks like I won't have to babysit you after all."

"(Chuckle) You better believe it, Karel." Aimee chuckled back at him with a grin.

"So are you going to take back what you said too, Shun?" Yummie asked at him, arms crossed and leaning in toward him with one eye open wider than the other... with Momo mimicking her.

"Depends..." He replied, crossing his legs. "Are you going to kick my crotch again?"

"Depends on if you still say that kills and rewards are only valuable from the guys." Momo threateningly screeched at him, stomping up and down on Yummie's shoulder in outrage.

"Geez, I made one mistake on forgetting that you guys were girls. I'm sorry, alright?" Shun raised his hands in surrender. "You misinterpreted my words."

"Maybe... but I don't take kindly to those who separate women and men's values."

"What? That's a petty thing to get angry about."

"You!" Yummie was about to go in for another kick, but Aimee it a gently hand on her clinched fist. Silently telling Yummie to let it go. "!"

"You'll have to forgive her short temper. Yummie came from a time and a place where women's values were considered insignificant." Aimee explained to Shun. "What you take for granted, Yummie had to fight most of her young life for."

"Hmph, geez..." Shun huffed out to them, crossing his arms as he looked away from the girls. "Way to make a guy feel guilty as crap."

"Heh ha! At least you're sorry!" Yummie cheered at him, giving him a big hug where he sat.

"So what are you guys doing out here anyway?" Sakuya asked the guys.

"We were just lounging around after getting done with today's missions." Tatsumi explained. "Then we started discussing what we all did before we became God Eaters. So what about you girls? What did you do before you got into... the business?'

"I worked in a restaurant!" Yummie answered with a raised hand, Momo doing the same too.

"I had no 'job'." Aimee answered.

"Wow, at least you're honest. Yeah I was unemployed too. Jobs were hard to come by in this day in age." Tatsumi replied back, so as not to make Aimee feel bad.

"You misunderstand me, Tatsumi. Where I came from jobs didn't truly exist. Established employments were created by society to trap and repress its people, my people had no chains like that nor did we believe in them." Aimee explained to him. "That's probably why we were hated by most of the others... aside from other things..."

"Aimee?" Sakuya called out to her in concern.

"I'm tired. I think I'll call it a day." Aimee said to them, covering a yawn as she made her way to the elevator to return to her room.

"Alright, take care of yourself, Aimee. I'm here to support you if you ever need it."

"Thank you, I'll keep that in mind." Aimee said back to her before the elevator doors closed. She had accidentally made her way to the wrong floor before she noticed that she was on the Veteran's Floor. She was going to head back into the elevator until she noticed a presence to her side, sitting on the benches by the snack machines.

"You're on the wrong floor, woman."

"Heh, well if it isn't Soma. I was starting to miss you these pass few days." Aimee coyly said to him, swaying her hips as she held her hands behind her back.

"Pfft, I don't have time to be babysitting extra baggage." He mocked back at her, arms crossed with his fingers clinching into his flesh as he tried to ignore her magical hips.

"Aw, come on Soma, don't be that way." She smiled back down at him as she bent her top to level with his face. "Surely I'm not all that bad."

"Hmph, more than you know... So, you survived out there."

"Of course, I haven't been out of the game that long."

"You're joking right?"

"O hush up." Aimee tsk her tongue at him. "So how've you been?"

"Tst, none of your business." Soma growled at him.

"There's no need for the animosity. I'm just worried, that's all." Aimee replied back, taking a gentler tone as her eyes softened.

"Well I don't need your worry." Soma grunted out. "I've survived this long without anyone's concern, I don't need yours."

"!" Her eyes widened in shocked at his answer, but then softened into a sadness. "You are alone?"

"?!" He was caught off guard by her conclusion, but mostly by the fact that her conclusion made her so sad.

"You separate yourself from others thus secluding yourself from the rest of your peers, which in turn makes you alone."

"What the hell do you know about me?" Soma growled her. His words were filled with so much venom but it did nothing to her sadden eyes.

"Soma, you can't go through this life alone. Nobody can." There was so much compassion in her eyes it almost took Soma's breath away. "You're too kind of a person to survive like that, too warm of a person to lie so cold."

"..."

"There are so many people here willing to connect with you." She gently lifted a hand to caress his cheek. "If only you were willing to open up..."

"..." He was about to give in to her gentle hand, as if its warm presence was familiar to him. But then suddenly pictures and clips began to fly through his mind like memories. But they weren't his... and yet they felt so real. The feelings they were giving him terrified him. He had to make them stop! "!"

"!" She gasped as Soma pushed her away and stormed off. "Soma?!"

He slammed his door on her pleading voice as the memories of the images made him slid on his door onto the floor. He looked down at his hands with his raggedy breath... he was shaking.

"What the hell... was that?!"

*** That night in a dream ***

_He felt so small. The world seemed bigger than usual, almost as if he shrunk. The trees and bushes looked bigger to him than normal, even in this foreign forest. Soma looked down at his hands, his heart skipped a beat as he noticed that they were the hands of a child. The hands of a four year old... and from the looks of them they were scratched up pretty bad._

_"Serves you right, this is the second time today." Came the know-it-all voice of a little head, instantly making him look up toward her voice. She was sitting on a giant tree root just above him, kicking her dangling feet. The little girl... she kinda looked like Aimee... at least, if she was four. She looked cute in her pink dress and blue waste scarf. Her hair barely touched her shoulders, but still had Aimee's wavy strands. Her head titled sideways at him as she lightly giggled. "I thought you knew how to climb trees?"_

_Soma looked up to the tree next to him, noticing the damage on the branches where he had most likely fallen. The idea of falling in front of this girl for some reason made him so embarrassed. He could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks beyond his control._

_"C-can it, Aimee." God, even his voice was the same as when he was four. But then again that's probably better, it would be weird to have his regular voice while inside a child-like body. "I can climb trees. Just small ones."_

_"Yeah, you mean like bushes?" She laughed at him. Her laughed had made his heart skip a beat and yet it made him so angry as well. He didn't know what came over him as a childish urge compelled him to climb up the root and pull on her hair, hard._

_"Quit making fun of me you stupid girl!" The words came out as more of a whine._

_"Ow! Quit pulling my hair you dumb boy!" She whined back at him, he still held her hair. Not pulling but refusing to let her hair go. Her hair felt as soft as a sheep..._

_"Don't call me dumb, Aimee!" Why did he call her that?_

_"Don't call me stupid, Silas!" Silas?!_

_"What else would I call a stupid girl, Stupid?" He taunted at her. In anger she pushed him off of the root and onto the dirt ground._

_"Dumb boy, why do I even play with you?" She said back to him before giving him the raspberries. And like the mature one of the two he gave her the raspberries back. Honestly, Soma had no idea what has come over him. She made him so mad for some reason and yet he craved for her attention._

_"Because I'm the only one who would play with you in this dumb forest."_

_"!" Her eyes widened for a second before she lowered her head with a blush. Her blush made his little heart flutter. "It's true... you're the only one that isn't scared to enter the forest. And I don't want to play alone. So promise me you won't hurt yourself anymore so we can play together in fun, okay?"_

_"..." He looked up to with a smile, giving her a confirming nod. She smiled back at his silent agreement but then it turned into a pout._

_"And this forest isn't dumb!"_

_"Yeah, yeah, whatever." He said, rolling his eyes?_

_"Those scratches look bad. Do you want me to kiss your boo-boos all better?"_

_His cheeks started to burn brighter as he made his eyes look anywhere but at her, but he still held his hands out toward her. "Yes, please."_

"!" Soma bolted up from his beat, covered in sweat as his heart hammered erratically out of panic. His instincts instantly compelled him to look down at his hands to make sure that they were his normal ones. "What the hell... was that?"

*** Author's Notes ***

Jiejie is a Chinese honorific used for older girls, usually to big sisters or cousin figures or any female who's older than the user.

Dajie can also be used, but lean towards more older females than the user since it can also mean auntie.

Then there's dage, which is used for big brother figures. And shifu, which means master usually used for teachers.


	9. Chapter 9

The story follows the plot to a point, but will take a drastic turn pretty soon.

Soma's Lament

It was a gray day... the clouds were so sad. Aimee could tell they would burst into tears soon. She felt that today would be a sad day... a very sad day. This was not a good way to start her first mission with Soma. Although none of her fellow Guardians would be accompanying her, they would not be alone. Apparently another Gods Eater would be joining them this mission. Lindow said that he was a cannon God Arc user.

Speaking of which, there they were. Leaning on a raised platform in this swamp pit that was known as the Sunken Grid. She had been running a little late so they must have vouched to meet her on the field instead of waiting at the Starting Point anymore. The new guy waved and up-and-ran to her to meet her, while Soma didn't even move from his spot. He wouldn't even make eye contact with her, much to her disheartening. He must've still been edgy about that incident the other day. Aimee didn't know what happened but she was bombarded with images and visions while their skin made contact. She was frightened about them at first but not enough to avoid Soma the way he was avoiding her.

"Hey," the young man called out to her dragging her out of her thoughts. "Are you one of the new rookie we've been hearing so much about?"

Not knowing how to really answer that question she simply nodded.

"I'm Eric, Eric der Vogelweid. I'd suggest you take your ques from me and learn to battle gloriously for humankind."

Finally Soma turned to look at them, but it was only in a panicked warning. "Eric, above you!"

"Huh?" But it was too late, an Ogretail jumped down from the Grid, knocking Eric under it and Aimee off her feet. Opening its mouth wide it took a big bite out of Eric. "Ah!"

"!" Aimee heard the scream, but her head was still dizzy from the bump with the ground. She could barely rise up her upper body onto her hands without wanting to lay back down again.

"Don't just stand there!" Soma barked at her as he sliced the Ogretail down with a crushing blow. But the damage was done, once Aimee got her head to stop spinning she went over to help Soma stop Eric's bleeding. But it was too late for him, the Aragami had taken a bite out of a lot of his major organs and he had already lost too much blood. There was no way the Rescue team could make it in time.

"Don't you dare die!" Soma growled at Eric as he desperately tried to Link Aid with him as a last resort. But he was gone, the life had left his eyes as they dulled out. His heart had come to a complete stop. Here came the rain. "Dammit!"

"Soma..." Aimee called out to him. "You did what you could."

"..."

Her hands were covered in Eric's blood from her many attempts to stop the bleeding. Even so, a bloodied hand still gently went up to close his eyes. Not a single blood trail left behind, only droplets of rain making seem like he was crying. "He met peace..."

"..." Slowly Soma got back on his feet. His face turning void of all emotion as he looked down at Eric and Aimee. The rain weighed down on his hood. "Welcome to this God-awful workplace."

"!" She feared that look in his eyes, he had closed himself off behind an inner wall that would slowly build inside of him until it completely tears him apart.

"Sorry to break it to you but this sort of thing happens on a daily basis here." Then he pointed the business end of his God Arc right at her face where she sat. "What kind of place did you think it was going to be?"

"!" His actions frightened her, not for the blade he would dare point at her but for the fact he was hidding from her. Either way, he still smirked at her reaction. Getting what he wanted he pulled his God Arc away from her and rested it on his shoulder. "Times up, let's go woman."

"..." She slowly rose back up to her feet, giving Soma the space he most likely needed. That's just what he wanted, and yet... why did it make him so angry.

"If you don't want to die, then stay out of my way as much as possible." And then he walked off, never turning to look back.

Aimee slowly followed behind him... regretting that this would be the one day she would let Duke stay at the Den. She thought since Soma was here Duke could use the break of extracting cores, but maybe if he was here than Eric would've probably had a chance at living. But wondering wasn't going to change a thing. Eric was gone now and it was most likely his time to pass on and make peace with himself. She turned back to look at him one last time as she slowly followed Soma to their target. By the time they'd get back to him, the Rescue team would've already retrieved the body. The sky continued to cry.

*** Day 1 ***

News of Eric's death had spread quickly around the Den, filling the place with a cloud of gloom. Soma couldn't go anywhere without hearing the whispers through the Den.

'We lost another comrade. He was cocky, but that kid was sure to be a great Gods Eater one day.'

'It's terrible, what happened to Eric. But what's important is that the others made it back alive, right?'

'But have you heard the rumor?'

This is when he would tune the voices out, he knew where the conversations were going and he didn't want to hear them. But it made it hard for him to tune them out with his damnable above average hearing.

"Soma..." Aimee... although he would prefer her over the whispering gossipers, he didn't want to deal with her right now. "... You want to talk about yesterday...?"

"What, about Eric?" He nearly huffed at her in disbelief... and deniance. "Nothing to do with me. The weaker among us are the first to die, that's all there is to it."

"Soma..." Her voice held so much disappointment in it. But he could also see the sadness in her eyes, and he couldn't stand it.

Having enough, he got up from the Entrance bench to walk away from her. But like having his words throw back him, wrapped around a brick, he ran into Eric's little sister and father. The poor girl looked for her brother at Hibari's desk, and poor Hibari didn't have the heart to tell her what happened to him.

"Excuse me, you work with the God Eaters." She asked up to Hibari from her short height. "Have you seen my brother Eric? He promised to take me shopping for a new dress."

He heard enough, rushing for the elevator he made his way back to his room. Away from the haunting voices that accused him in silence and fed him with guilt. But before he left he heard the grievance sigh of Eric's father.

"Damn it, Eric, you were suppose to out live me..."

*** Day 3 ***

'Eric could be selfish sometimes... But for some reason, you couldn't really hate him. After all this time, I still can't get use to losing a comrade.'

'Eric was one of those rich kids. He could be bratty, but he was a good guy who looked after his sis. When you become a Gods Eater, you're mostly fighting against the weight of that responsibility. In his own way, he fought as hard as he could...'

'That kid Eric wasn't a bad Gods Eater, so there has to be a reason why he was taken down so easily.'

"Hey," the little voice of Eric's sister took Soma away from the horrible whispers. She was talking to Aimee by the front missions' desk. "Everyone keeps telling me that Eric was killed on a mission."

"... I'm sorry, little one. But it's true, Eric has passed on to the other side." Aimee gently told her.

"Lies! You're lying just like the others!" The little girl cried out as she walked out of the Den to return another day to look for her brother. She was in a state of denial. "Why can't anyone tell me the truth?!"

"... You seek a truth that does not exist in this world." Aimee commented aloud to the little girl who had long since left the Den. She then turned to Soma as she noticed him there. Striving for some closure from him, she reached out to grab his arm. "Soma..."

But he swatted her hand away and gave her a cold stare. "Man, you're a clingy brat. Get out of my face! Get use to the daily grind!"

"!" Such a harsh reaction to a simple gesture.

Out of all the voices going around in the Den, Soma knew that hers was the only one that cared. He didn't mean to lash out in her, but he just couldn't deal with this right now. "That's all you can do."

And so he left her and the voices to return to the silence of his room.

*** Day 5 ***

'There's a 'Death god' among us, and they're worse than Aragami. Cause you die if you team up with him! The name of this 'Death god'... is Soma...'

Here the rumors go around again. He hated how these rumors made people talk about him and avoid him like the plague. He was already keeping his distance from people for their sake, there was no need for them to add on to that. And those eyes... those horrible eyes, how he hated how they looked at him whenever the rumors would come around.

'Whenever he's around, the Aragami always come to you. People who get paired up with him usually die fast. But somehow, he's still alive. His Burst time is also really long too. See? He can't be human... He is Death.'

"Why?! Why did my brother have to die?!" The little voice cried out through the Entrance. At last she had gotten past her stage of denile, now she was going through the anger stage. And just as always Aimee was there to see the little girl through it. The woman was far too soft for her own good, she always would end up carrying the burden of others.

"I don't know, little one..."

"Why didn't you God Eaters do your job? Why didn't you guys save him?!" The little girl cried out, clinching her fists to the side. "Stupid God Eaters! I hate them, I hate them all!"

But the poor thing was caught off guard when Aimee bent down to hold her in a gentle warm embrace.

"You don't mean that... I know you don't..." Aimee gently soothed to the girl.

"!" Her eyes began to water.

"It's not his fault, it's not the God Eaters fault, and it's not your fault either..." Aimee could tell that the child was secretly blaming herself for her brother's death deep down, as if wanting a new dress had been greedy of her and cost her her brother. "The heavens just called him back... there's no other reason... the heavens just called him back."

"Please... I don't care about the clothes, I just want my brother back..."

"You'll always have a piece of your brother in your heart..."

"(Sob) But, he's gone, Mis!" The tears began to leak from the child as she instantly move pass the anger and bargaining stage to hit into the grieving stage. Aimee held the girl tighter as the tears and sniffles came out.

"No... " Aimee sooth to the child, gently patting her back. "No, he'll always be there, you just can't see him."

The child gripped on to Aimee's neck as she wailed her little heart out onto Aimee's shoulder. Aimee patiently rubbed the child's back as she let her let it all out. Soma couldn't take anymore, he had to leave. He could never understand how Aimee could do it. She did what the others in the Den didn't have the heart to do, she did what he failed to do. She helped another come to closure with the lost of another causality. As Eric's comrade it was his job to tend to the emotionally needs of Eric's immediate family during their time of grief. But he couldn't do it... he neither had the knowledge to do so, nor the will to face them. It took one small woman who only accompanied Eric on barely one mission to do what he could not, even after all the countless missions he shared with Eric.

"Dammit." He hissed out, returning to his solitude.

*** Day 7 ***

'So... um, does anyone from his unit ever survive?'

'Careful, he has acute hearing. Be careful what you say.'

'I hear that he healed completely by the next day for a wound that needed 8 stitches. He can't be human!'

'Its crazy, right? Eric was a good a Gods Eater as anybody, but one mission with Soma and he's a martyr.'

'Yeahhh, I'd rather not have to team up with that one if I can help it.'

'That guy... he's as cold as ice. He's like a walking death.'

"Alright, that's enough of that." Aimee's voice rang out through the many whispers that were sinking Soma into darkness, giving her hands a clap to startle the gossipers into silence. She then started to make a shooing gesture toward them. "Go on! Get going you bunch of buzzards."

"Excuse you?!"

"Who are you to talk to us like that?!"

"Apparently the only one with sense among you. And maturity for that matter to not blame others where there is no blame to be given." She answered sternly to them, before pulling out a throwing knife out of her corset. "Now go gossip somewhere else about someone else before I put a Gypsy Curse on you!"

"!" They stumbled away quickly at the sight of the knife, but still had the audacity to still talk bad about her, thinking that she couldn't hear them.

'What's her problem?'

'She's crazy.'

'She'll just end up another martyr for Soma.'

"Idiots..." Aimee might have waved them off, but their words had cut through Soma deep.

"I didn't need your help." Soma growled at her.

"Nor did you ask of it, but I gave it anyway."

"Why are you here?"

"To see how you're doing."

"Spare me the noble antics, just this once." Soma groaned out as he got up from his seat on the Veteran's Floor snack machine benches to pass Aimee and go back to his room. But Aimee followed after him.

"It's been a week, Soma. You shouldn't bottle this in yourself."

"Oh, and I suppose you're going to help me." He mocked back to her, slightly tilting his head back at her.

"To the best of my ability."

"Well save it, I don't need your help."

"You my say so, but your body's speaking otherwise."

"What the hell do you know?!"

"I know that you've been avoiding me and this topic for the past few days! Your muscles are stiff as if you've been tense and under stress for awhile. Your face scrunches up whenever you hear people whisper... and your eyes water up when they move an extra step further away from you as they pass by..."

"Shut the HELL UP!"

SLAM

He shouted at her as he slammed his door shut on her. Slightly shaken, he made his way to his couch where he practically dropped into his seat. Grabbing an unopened can on his coffee table, he began to drink a can of soda to wash away the anxiety and built up nerves. In this room he was safe... nothing could get to him in his space...

CLICK

"!" His eyes widened in shock as his door creaked open to Aimee leaning on his door frame with her arms and legs crossed and a smirk on her face.

"You must be crazy if you think that there is a lock in this world that can keep me out." She lightly laughed out, playing with the throwing knife she used to pick his lock in her fingers before placing it back in its hiding place in her corset.

"Dammit, why are you so persistent?!" He growled at her.

"Because I can't stand to see you in pain." She simply answered as she invited herself in, closing the door behind her.

"Ugh, annoying brat!" She ignored his insult as she took a seat beside him on the couch.

"Why do you blame yourself for Eric's death?'

"!" She was bold and went straight for the kill.

"You are not at all at fault for his death. You did everything you could and yet you and everyone else keeps beating you up about it. Spreading all these ghastly rumors about you as if they have no sense."

"And you don't agree with them?" He asked with a mocking raised eyebrow. "If enough people say it, it's bound to be true."

"How could any of those cruel rumors be true about a kind person like you?" Her voice was gentle with a hint of sadness that Soma would even think otherwise about himself.

"Heh, kind?" Soma chuckled at her words before looking down at his half emptied can. "Where on earth do you even get that idea? Those people's words are more right than you know. I am a monster."

"Did they tell you that?" She hissed at the word 'they' as the thought of the random people's hurtful whispers ran through her mind.

Soma's head shot up as he looked her in the eyes with stern frustration. "Look at me."

"..." And she did look at him, fully in the face as he purposely brought attention to his eyes. He wanted her to see them, he wanted the fear and shock to come over her eyes at the sight of them like many people did before. Just like... the surprise she felt when she looked into his eyes the first time they met. But it didn't come... her eyes squinted with the focus and concentration of fully studying his eyes with her every being. The hue has the same beautiful spring blue waters she was long familiar with, even if the pupils were more slanted than normal she didn't see that as enough justification to call him a monster. But he couldn't see that, so she would have to give him the test. "Give me your hand."

"What?" He raised a brow at her odd demand. Without giving him a second, she reached for his dominate hand, taking the soda out of it to rest back on the coffee table, and pulled his hand closer to her.

"Just let me see it." She huffed out, reaching to pull off his fingerless gloves. He stiffened at first at the idea of making flesh contact with her after the last time, but he slowly relaxed into her grip... if only to humor her. She had placed his glove on the coffee table as well and turned his palm up in her hand. She shouldn't have been surprised at what she saw, she had already had a feeling deep down, but the confirmation had literally took her breath away. "!"

"!" Soma gasped in shock as silent tears began to escape her eyes. "What? ... What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry..." A warm smile came over her wet tear stained cheeks as she looked back up into his eyes. "It's just that this is the most beautiful palm reading I've ever seen."

"?!"

"Look." She said bringing her eyes back down to his palm and pointed things out to him as she explained. "This long line curving down means you'll have a long life... that is if there is no outside interference."

"Heh, with my line of work, I highly doubt that."

"This line above it is your head line, which means you got a good head on you judging by its length."

"Hmph, tell me something I don't know."

"Your line of fate is strong as it cuts up your palm, meaning you will have many struggles in your life. And your health line cuts through as well, meaning you have many stress related problems. It's thick so it denotes the wear and tear of a nervous system. Such a sad thing to see in your young life."

"..." It was like she was seeing right through him.

"But look, your success line cuts up in between the two, thick and strong, meaning you will triumph over your struggles." She then looked around to the right lower corner of his palm. "You lack any noticeable amount of travel lines, but that's a good thing, means your life has not been impacted by most of the numerous trips you've taken in your life. And none of them cross into your life line so none of them will effect your health."

"As fascinating as this is, is this going anywhere?"

"Patience, Soma, I'm getting to my point."

"Hey... what about the line high up top on the right corner?"

"Oh, that. That's just your marriage line."

"Hmph, someone is actually crazy enough to marry me?"

"Well, yeah. Aw, don't be that way, you're cute enough."

"Hmph," Soma grunted at her, slightly blushing.

"And from the looks of things you marry once and there's no fork in the line so you don't divorce."

"Why is it so thin? Does that mean it's a short marriage?"

"Nope, that's a good thing. Thick lines mean they'll be many affairs depending on how thick the line is and the long length means many marriages, whether with the same person or others at the same time. Lucky girl, you're going to be a faithful and loyal husband. And look! It's closer to your heart line which means you're going to marry young."

"Oh great." Soma groaned out.

"Oh no... you have a Venus Gridle."

"What the hell does that mean?" Soma growled as she acted like she was accusating something.

"It's this flipped arch between your middle and ring finger. Means that you're creative, but you have a nervous an delicate temper."

"What?!"

"Hey, it's your hand, not mine. Doesn't help much that your Terminal looks like you punched it through. But at least your Ring of Solomon is straight, meaning that you will have accurate gut feelings." She explained, pointing out the straight line just below his index finger. "But let's get to the point now. Do you see this line."

"?" He looked down as her finger ran across the line she had pointed out before but didn't go into detail about. The feel out her finger gliding over the line sent a tingle through his body. "You mean the heart line?"

"Yeah, what do you notice about it?"

"Nothing much, it's just long."

"Exactly."

"?!"

"If it was straight it would mean that you have a self-centered character. If it was short and faint you would lack the feeling of love. If it was not there at all... you would have no heart. But you... your heart line is long and curved, meaning that you are a warmhearted person." But his line was somewhat deep which meant that he was and could get easily jealous and possessive, but he didn't need to know that. She gently caressed her fingers on top of his heart line. "Now what kind of monster would have such a long heart line?"

"Tst, this is all rubbish." Soma grunted out, yanking his hand from her grip.

"Ha! You know your palm rings truer than you believe." She then rested a comforting hand on the lower side of his shoulder. "You're a good man, Soma. I wish that you could see that..."

"Hmph, it's only the delusion of a wishful woman." Soma mocked back at her, turning his head away.

"Wishes can come true if you work hard at them." Aimee pointed out. "Perhaps you need a hobby to relieve the stress of the world around you and acts as a security. Just a little something to take your mind off of this dark negativity."

"Hmph, and what hobbies do you suggest that I take up?" Soma asked with a smirk, laughing in the inside at the erratic notion of him taking up a hobby. He could practically see her suggesting that he take up painting or interpretive dancing.

"Hmm," she hummed to herself, looking him over along with his room. "Well... you got quite a number of blades, but that's a minor collection hobby we don't want to turn into an addiction."

"Hey..." He growled out in irritation.

"The broken glass and bullet holes show you have a shooting hobby. And judging from your target you're quiet good. That's one way to relieve the stress but you're gonna need more." Then she started to pout as she looked down at the glass again. "But you seem to be pretty lazy, you haven't even tried to pick up that glass. You could cut yourself, you know?"

"Hey." The vein in his head was starting to pop out.

"Well, you've got a healthy plant in here, so at least you have one positive minor hobby like gardening. But you need another..." She continued on to herself, ignoring him steaming up beside her. She was only in his room for a couple of minutes and yet she had already uncovered most of him by simply looking around his room. Suddenly her eyes shot open wide as an idea came to her. "O! I know just the thing!"

"?! Soma looked at her with a raised eyebrow as she shot up from her seat with kissing fingers and a giddy look on her face.

"Wait just a second!" She requested to him as she ran out of his room.

"?" He looked to the door in questioning at what could she possibly be returning with. His mind was figuring for the worst, but was knocked off its game when she came back with her idea. "... What?"

"Why not take up an instrument?" She retorted to him as if it was the greatest idea ever.

"A violin?'"

"A violin, fiddle, call it what you want." Aimee huffed out before handing the violin and its bow to him. "Anyway, you've got the fingers for it. I think you'd rather enjoy playing it."

"Charming. And where the hell am I suppose to learn how to play this?"

"Your problem, not mine." She said to him while practically shoving the violin and bow into his hands. Then she pulled the case strap up from around her body and tossed it on the couch where she once sat. "It should probably come natural to you."

"Hmph, and why is that?"

"A gut feeling." She teased at him before heading back for the door. "Anyway, I'll leave you be for now."

"Heh, that's a surprise." Soma huffed at her with a smirk.

"Oh! There was one more thing."

"?"

"Oh, yes." She chuckle to herself as she slowly closed the door behind her. "You might want to get someone to fix your lock."

The door had shut, but would not be locking for a long while.

"Damn it all." Soma groaned out. Not only did Aimee break into his space, she left him with extra baggage. And yet... for some reason he felt lighter.

On the other side of the door Aimee was all in a fluster. She didn't know whether to be happy, sad, or scared all at the same time. She knew that giving Soma that violin was a good idea, because he would pick it up pretty quick. It was one of the few things she saved with her during her long cryogenic sleep, something that she cherished deeply, but she didn't hesitate to give it to him... because it was his... or a least it was in another lifetime. Aimee had a gut feeling about him, her heart was telling her so, but his palm reading had proved it for her. The strange feelings she got, the sudden image links when they touched, his fate... Soma's palm... it was the exact same as Silas's.

*** Author's Notes ***

The palm reading part is mostly true. Look it up for yourself if you want more detail. Until the next chapter. (~.~)


	10. Chapter 10

The mood of those around ones self can be contagious, whether good or bad.

Soma's Spirit

_He was dreaming again... but it felt so real. Soma could practically feel the morning summer heat kiss his cheeks as he had somehow awokened into the dream. He could hear the birds singing close by and the sun lightly shined through the orange... tent. He was sleeping in a giant tent... he was sleeping on a hammock._

_ Soma jumped up from his covers, immediately looking around his surroundings to find out where the hell he was. The area of the tent was closed off like a room. All it had was a couple of rugs to shield his feet from the dirt floor, a chest that probably contained his clothes, a couple of stray books stacked on top of a box with a picture frame on top, a violin resting on the side of the chest in its case, and a vanity mirror leaning on the support pole of the tent._

_But when he looked in the mirror... he saw something he had only dreamed of. Yes he looked like he did when he was 12, but he was... normal. His platinum hair was raven black, his spring eyes looked human... the pupils no longer had the thin Aragami slit. He couldn't believe it, it was just too strange._

_"Silas."_

_"!" He was caught off guard as a woman in her mid thirties came in through the room's opening, sliding the fabric door to the side as she made her way in. She had his skin complexion and silky raven straight hair, but hers was much longer than his shoulder length hair and a violet bandana graced her head. She wore a tan square center-cut neckline shirt with short sleeves tucked into a purple long skirt. Over her clothes was a messy apron that had most likely seen many battles in the kitchen. Her ears were graced with large ring earrings as a humble golden chain with a charm hung from her neck. Her brown eyes were so warm, and her face was so similar to his. If he didn't know any better he would say this woman was his mother._

_"Baby, what are you still lazing about for?" She chuckled at him with a smile. "Come on, the day waits for no one."_

_"!" Soma couldn't say anything, he could only stare at her. So he was posing as Silas again, now he could somewhat see how Aimee could confuse himself with Silas. They did look eerily alike... but he refuse to see this as real or even see this as a memory. This situation wasn't real, this woman wasn't real. But... he felt so warm around her. He felt a sad happiness at seeing her, as if he couldn't deny who she was. Almost as if she really was... "Mom..."_

_"Silas? You okay, baby?" Her voice softened in concern as she saw the sad look that came over his face as he called out to her. She gently rubbed his cheek in comfort while checking his temperature to see if he was well, her fingers gently combed through his hair during the process._

_"!" Soma was taken aback by the caring gesture, he had never had such a familiarity and genuine gesture aim toward him before in his life. Her actions had felt good and made him feel so warm and safe inside, but it was still a foreign sensation to him and he didn't know how to respond to it. Backing away from her, he shied from her touch. "It's nothing, mom. Sorry, mom... I'm still asleep."_

_"Oh? Well then wake up, sleepy head." She ginned at him before heading out. "Come and get some breakfast."_

_"A-alright."_

_"Oh, and don't forget your violin."_

_"Fine." Soma didn't know why but something about dragging that violin made him exasperated and annoyed. As if he couldn't stand the damn thing._

_"Stop your moping and just get going." She ordered at him as the tapping sound of her laced sandals faded into the distance._

_"Yes ma'am." Soma replied, grabbing the lace sandals by the side of his hammock before gabbing a change of clothes. Something told Soma that the woman he called mother wouldn't wait on him long so he would have to book it before she came in his room with a wooden spoon and chased him out. _

_The tent was the same size as a moderate house with a couple of sections cut off into rooms. But the smell of breakfast was coming from outside. The sun shined bright on his face as he opened the fabric door to outside. It was a weird sensation for Soma, his mornings weren't usually so bright... and green. It's been ages since he'd seen the trees dance in the breeze up close. The sensation was refreshing and yet disturbing at the same time... this shouldn't feel so real._

_"Over here, Sweetie!" His mother waved over to him from a camp site just to the right of their tent. A fire blaze with cooking utensils above it, the fire was closed off from spreading and surrounded by logs most likely used for sitting on. Behind that was a good sized caravan wagon with a strong stallion grazing not too far from the caravan. His mother sat by the fire along with a man... he had short wavy brunette hair and a skin complexion slightly lighter than Soma's. But his eyes were the same as Soma's and his facial structure was similar to Soma, leaving him to conclude that this man was most likely suppose to be his father. "Don't just stand there, sleepy head, get over here."_

_"!" Startled out of his thinking, Soma moved his feet to get over to camp area. Sitting next to his mother with crossed arms and a pout, embarrassed that she would call him by cute nicknames out in the open... especially next to the man that was supposedly his father. He leaned his violin on the log, right behind him._

_"Oh, stop your pouting and eat your breakfast." She huffed at him, handing Soma a plate of eggs, pork jerky, and sliced apples. "Don't forget your milk. A growing boy needs his calcium."_

_"Ugh," Soma groaned out, talking the cup of milk from her hand and chugging it down to get it out of the way. Everything... actually had a taste. And it was much better than the rations at the Mesh Hall. It felt like it had a mother's touch... it made his heart melt a little inside._

_"Whoa, slow down there, Silas. The food isn't going anywhere." His mother lectured to him with a raised eyebrow as she began to work on her plate. His father had already finished his plate and was working a strong cup of dark coffee as he silently listened to his family. "So, are you ready for the festival, Sweetie? Must be pretty nervous about playing at the festival, huh?"_

_"Huh?" What was she talking about? Festival? This place... this time must have been peaceful compared to his filthy dark time. He couldn't even remember a time when he had a reason to celebrate._

_"Ugh, don't give me that. You need to be practicing, Silas. The festival is coming up soon and it's such an honor that you had been selected to play for the dance." His mother explained to him, but she stopped in her tracks when she noticed the blank look on his face. "Are you even listening?"_

_"Huh?" Soma was stuck and confuse at what she was talking about._

_"Ugh," his mother groaned out, brushing her hand through her hair. "Listen, Sweetie... we all live in this caravan, and we all are apart of a community. Separated from the rest of society, we have to depend on each other to survive. And we have lived this way for many generations, traveling the same path our ancestors have walk. Eating off the wild crops and fruit trees our ancestors had planted before us on their path. And we do the same for our children that are to come. Some of us play the role as herders, others as keepers of our rich culture, and others work in various trades. We all play a role in our caravan and we look out for each other since the rest of the world will not."_

_"..." She looked so sad when she said the last part._

_"The festival serves to celebrate the union and brotherhood of the caravan. It's actually considered a great honor that the chief saw potential in your playing and personally hand picked you to play for the dance."_

_"I can't be that good." Soma said, reverting his eyes away from her. He didn't even know how to play._

_"You're being too humble, Dear, your talent is raw but great. You just need to keep molding it until it shapes into something amazing, you just need to keep practicing."_

_"I think the chief might have picked the wrong guy."_

_"Nonsense," his mother huffed, giving him a light push on the shoulder. "You're just as good as the others that will be playing at the festival. I always knew my little boy was going to play in the festival one day."_

_"Ugh..."_

_"Not to mention you're such good friends with the Chief's daughter. Such a sweet little girl, what was her name again, Honey?"_

_"Aimee," her husband answered her before taking another sip of his mug. Soma didn't know what he was more surprised about, his dad's smooth yet rugged voice or the mention of Aimee._

_"Oh that's right. The poor thing, lost her mother to sickness when she was only five. And now her father trains her to take his place as Leader while still keeping his wife's wish of letting her learn to dance."_

_"He shouldn't be teaching that child to fight the way he does, let alone a girl." His father commented._

_"Pfft, with his refusal to remarry, that little girl is the only heir he has. So he's going to sink everything he knows into her while still respecting his wife's wish at raising a little lady."_

_"I still think he should've waited until she was older before training her to fight." His father huffed out._

_"I know, I know, thirteen is the number for you." His mother chuckled at his father before turning to Soma. "Means you've got only one year left, huh Silas?"_

_"?!"_

_"But before then, you should keep practicing."_

_"Ugh."_

_"Don't groan at me, young man." His mother wagged her finger at him. "You've got nothing else to do today. Just take your violin with you as you go to God knows where like you usually do."_

_"But-"_

_"Silas." His father interrupted, getting up on his feet._

_"?!" Soma was silence, unconsciously yielding to his supposed father's authoritative voice. He somehow had so much respect for this man that only existed in a dream, and he craved for his approval._

_"Practice," was all his father said as he began to walk away with his tool bag._

_"Going to go fix the Lani's caravan, Honey?" His mother asked his father as she collected his dishes. Apparently his father was a carpenter._

_"Yup," he answered, waving an arm back at her. "I'll be back by lunch."_

_"Hm, well, I have stuff to do. Don's not going to brush himself." His mother sighed after his father left, pointing toward the stallion shaking its mane out of its face. "Don't you have somewhere you have to be?"_

_"Hmph, we all have to be somewhere on this planet."_

_"Cute. Now run off and play."_

_"Tst, fine." Soma sighed, getting on his feet an started to walk down the dirt roadway. He didn't know how far this dream world went, but he wanted to explore it for all its worth._

_"Be back for lunch." His mother instructed before he could get far. "And take your violin with you!"_

_"Jeez, fine." He groaned out, yanking his violin into his hand and stomping off._

_"Love you, Sweetie!" She waved him off, trying to break him out of his grumpy attitude. But the gesture just made him blush and storm off faster. It wasn't that he didn't like it... it was the fact he did like it. And that was a dangerous thing to feel such things about dreams... because they eventually fade away._

_And this world was fascinating. Walking down the world he saw many other caravans with tents gathered together in the distance on the plains. Some closer than others. People with the same characteristics and clothes as him went about with their lives. Women working on laundry, as some herded the animals along with the men. Various farmers herded from the choices of sheep, goats, cattle, dairy cows, and horses, some of the herders even carried with them a flock of chickens and ducks. That's probably where his eggs came from. The animals grazed peaceful among themselves as their shepherds calmly watched on. _

_On the other side of him, women pleasantly gathered fruit from the wild growing fruit trees from the other side of the road. But something about this whole thing confused Soma. Far off in the distance was a town with buildings and indoor pluming while these people kept their distance away from it, living in their tents and off the fresh creek close by. And what about electricity? This whole place seemed frozen in time, while if this was really Aimee's time technology and electronics should have been booming. However, the solar panels on top of the tents and the occasional portable windmills stated they had the minimal luxury of electricity. Enough for their children to be able to play with their portable gaming systems while the others played around with a ball in a game of football. Or was it called Soccer, NORN wasn't very specific about that information._

_He honestly could join in their game and the others wouldn't even bat an eye... unlike if he did that in real life when he was a child. But the rare opportunity to relive a childhood wish didn't really appeal to him like the forest for some reason did... it lied behind the stone wall that acted more like a low fence separating the forest from civilization. His experiences outside the Anti-Aragami Walls made him weary of going into unknown forests for the danger of what might be hidden inside them. But for some reason, he had thrown that caution to the wind. As if something inside the forest drew him into it..._

_Either way, the walk was pleasant. It felt good to be able to walk around without having to worry about an Aragami jumping at him. The whole place was so peaceful... and calming. The birds singing in the trees were so soothing, it had been a long time since Soma had felt this relaxed. That's when he found what he was looking for... that's when he found her..._

_Aimee... she was dancing to a song in her head as she hummed it out with her eyes closed. Her hair had grown longer with her twelve year old body and a long green dress with a white upper half graced her petite body. Her body was small, and was just starting to develop into womanhood, but it still held a strength to it. She slowly moved to the beat she hummed with an elegance and grace that made her blend in with the environment around her. Soma found the whole thing enchanting, he couldn't take his eyes away from her as he found a tree to lean on and crossed his arms. But as he looked closer, he could see how her body was shaking._

_As if breaking the magic, her body gave in to her fatigue and she fell to her knees. Her hands catching her from landing flat on her face._

_"Hmph, you dropped with the grace of a lady." Soma teased at her, chuckling as her face shot up at him in shock._

_"Silas, I should have known!" She pouted as he made no move to help her up. "What are you doing here anyway?"_

_"Oh you know, just hanging around. Messing with my favorite person." Soma teased at her, unusually playful for him._

_"Jeez, I feel so flattered." She groaned out, struggling to get back on her feet._

_"You look like crap."_

_"Save it, Silas." She growled at him, finally getting up again. "I'm just tired from yesterday. Training took a real number on me yesterday."_

_"Heh, you poor thing."_

_"You're one to talk, you look like you're avoiding practicing." She shot back at him, eying the violin lying next to him still in its case. "And here I am practicing my butt off for you so I don't insult your playing when I should be resting. And you're not even trying."_

_"Not my fault they chose me to complete a task I don't have the means to."_

_"What do you mean? You're really good with the violin."_

_"I don't even know how to play." Soma honestly answered._

_"Your skill is raw but still legit. Come on, play something for me."_

_"What? Why?" Soma said with a raised eyebrow._

_"Just pick up your violin already." Aimee huffed out with her fists on her hips._

_"Tst, fine." Soma groaned out, yanking his violin out of its case as he continued to grumble. "Whiny little brat."_

_"Yeah, yeah, yeah, just play."_

_"Hmph, don't come crying to me if you don't like it." Soma growled out, randomly stringing his violin with its bow. Surprisingly, it actually had a nice rhythm to it, making Soma raise an eyebrow in surprise. "!"_

_"See! I knew you could do it!" She cheered with a giggle as she started to dance to the beat. Soma lost himself in her magical laugh that ringed like music. He wanted to hear more of her laughs... see more of her beautiful smiles. The sun got caught and danced in her raven hair as she moved. She was dancing around to his wild music as if it was the most beautiful symphony in the world, and it made him warm inside how happy it made her. "(Giggle) And here you were, worrying about nothing."_

_Suddenly stopping in her dance as her hands gracefully tried to cover her giggling fit as her shoulders continued to shake. Entranced by the view of her backside, he lowered his violin and placed its bow in the other hand with the violin. With his free hand he lifted it up and gently cupped a lock of her hair between his fingers... it felt so soft._

_"!" Suddenly her giggle fit stopped and turned her toward Soma with a raised eyebrow as she felt his hand grip her hair. "This again? What is it with you and my hair?"_

_"I dunno." Soma shrugged off, still rubbing his fingers on the strand. Apparently Silas must have had a thing for Aimee's hair. But then again, Soma would guess he had a thing for it too since he grabbed for her hair in this way along with the last dream._

_"Ugh, I mine as well cut it off and be done with it." She huffed out, pulling her hair out of his grip._

_"No." Soma instantly said back._

_"!" Her eyes widened in surprise._

_"Never cut your hair."_

_"Silas..." She called to him with a lovely blush, but... that wasn't his name..._

"!" Soma bolted up from his bed. Covered in sweat as he steadied his heart and heavy breath. The dream wasn't considered real, but... it mine as well have been. He knew it was dream, he knew it all along. Even still it was so beautiful... he never wanted it to end. When he had finally woken up his hope had been crushed a little. Not to mention the dream wasn't even about him, he was parading around in a body suit of someone else's. It appears these Silas dreams were coming more frequent now, and he had no idea why they were happening. This didn't start happening til after that time with Aimee.

Aimee... the dreams always seemed to revolve around her. The girl was starting to be more trouble than she was worth, it would be in his best interest to avoid her from now on. But as he said that, he had found himself in the Entrance and walking in on her and the new Rookie's conversation. He had been moving on autopilot as he thought to himself, getting refreshed and ready for the day and made his way for the mission desk for the day's missions. But his presence went unnoticed as they continued their conversation.

"Hey, um... are we heading out together this time?"

"It appears so... I hear you recently passed your training with Tsubaki, congratulation." Aimee smiled at him before it turned into a smirk. "But I hear from Tsubaki and Dr. Sakaki that you could've scored better if you didn't sleep through the lectures."

"Wha? Give me a break! Those lectures are unbearably boring." Kota pouted out. "I can't believe you actually got exempt from them."

"Hmph, passed out of them. I already knew the information and the rest I learned from NORN."

"Figures," Kota sighed out before returning to topic. "Still, I'm glad we both survived so far! That's all that matters in our line of work, right? I don't know what my mom and sister would do if something were to happen to me. So I've gotta watch out."

"O-oh." Soma could practically hear the hurt in Aimee's voice. Family was a touchie matter for her, since her family was most likely dead.

"Oh, hey, so you know Sakuya. Are you two close?" Kota asked, changing the subject, unconsciously for the better.

"Uh, sort of..." Aimee answered, raising an eyebrow at the sudden change of topic.

"She's really pretty, don't you think? Friendly, good looking, and strong, like an Amazon warrior. How hot is that?!"

"Hmm, I guess that is pretty hot." Aimee reply with a hand under her chin in thought.

"Alright, I'm getting pumped just thinking about it!" He stated, pumping his fist in the air. "Let's see who can take out the most Aragami in this mission."

"?!"

"I'm going to show that Sakuya how awesome I am!"

"Heh! Do your best, stud. But know that I won't make it easy for you." Aimee shrugged him off with a grin before they walked out into the mission elevator. "By the way, any idea what this Kongou Aragami is like? If you ask me, it looks like a giant gorilla."

"Dunno, I hear this Aragami disappeared off the grid for a while and has finally decided to show up again. But it's suppose to be pretty tough."

"And they're sending new blood out on this mission?" Aimee question, not able to believe the logic behind this set up.

"Hey, we're both strong. Maybe the higher ups understand how invincible we are!"

"Oh? Perhaps our team up is an invincible lineup."

"You're darn right!" Kota fist pumped in agreement as they elevator doors closed, leaving Soma alone in the Entrance. That rookie, Kota was it? He was somewhat contagious. Soma found himself slightly pumped for the day more than usual.

*** Later pass sunset ***

The day's missions had been done for Soma. And Aimee and the rookie Kota had finally gotten back from their first mission in the Tranquil Temple, along with Duke. Both of them had a smug look on their faces while Duke happily wagged his tail.

"Great work today!" Kota praised, puffing his chest out. "Like when you started pounding away with your fists and Duke started biting, then after you guys dropped back I went in there with my guns blazing! That Kongou was stumbling all over the place, huh? We're the best team ever!"

"(Giggle) Yes, we do make a good pair out on the field. It almost seems unfair." Aimee joked around with Kota as they reentered the Entrance.

"My gun and your fists, we were totally in sync! I'm gonna go home and brag to Nozomi! I'll tell her that I'm the defender of world peace!"

"That's great and all Kota, but you might want to save that for later. You've got a lecture to get to in Dr. Sakaki's lab in like ten minutes."

"Aw..."

"No pouting." Aimee tsk at Kota before heading for the elevator. "I've got a soda to get. See you later, Kota."

"Good working with you today!" Kota smiled and waved at her and Duke as they left, neither of them notice Soma sitting in the lounge area. Until Kota turned to the side, finally seeing Soma there. "Oh, hey, you're that Soma guy, right? You're a member of my unit."

"Is there any other Soma?" Soma retorted back with a grunt.

"It's good to meet you." Kota greeted, refusing to let Soma's snarkie attitude ruin his flow. "So, I, uh... I heard... about your partner."

"!" Soma started to get a little nervous, was he going to turn out like the other God Eaters in the Den?

"Mmm... I just don't think it would be any good... for both of us to be gloomy. Hm... so don't worry!"

"?!"

"Let's be more confident. We're invincible! Anyway, I just wanted to say... Let's try to buck up!"

"..." Soma stared at Kota in disbelief as he fist pumped in the air. Here he was getting a pep-talk from another Gods Eater, a rookie none the less. It was slightly refreshing to have someone actually approach him, aside from his close comrades, without fear. It practically put a smirk on his face. "Hmph."

"?" Kota stared at Soma's reaction questionably as Soma got up from his seat and walked passed him to the elevator.

"Don't forget to do your homework, brat." He smirked at Kota as he went into the elevator.

"Eh? Hey wai-" Was all Kota could get out before the elevator doors closed on him, making Soma's smirk grow wider.

Soma was in a humorous mood now, but it slowly faded when he noticed Aimee drinking a can of soda on his Floor's bench with Duke resting beside her on the bench. This wasn't good, he was supposed to be avoiding her, dammit.

"What are you dong here, woman?"

"The Rookie's Floor didn't have what I wanted. The Veteran Floor always gets the good stuff." Aimee shrugged out the answer, taking a sip of her can as if proving her point.

"Hmph, so you survived, Fossil?" Soma taunted at her, leaning against the soda machine with his arms crossed as he got comfortable. But the nickname had struck a nerve with Aimee, her grip on her soda can became tighter. She left a dent in it as a vein popped out from her forehead.

"Excuse me?" You could hear the anger hidden under her honey coated voice.

"You're pretty persistent, I actually didn't think you would last this long..."

"O how very kind of you." She said while rolling her eyes in sarcasm.

"Hey... do you know what a Link-Aid is?"

"?" She titled her head in confusion at his change of topic. "I've heard about it from NORN, but I've never seen it in action."

"... The Aragami are lured to spots in battle by the scent of the Link-Aid..." Suddenly Soma's eyes began to zone out as he began to zone out to a place that borderlined into a dream and reality. "If there are people who will shed tears over your death, maybe it's a blessing for you to just die. There are those whose deaths will be lamented... and those who will be hated for surviving."

"..." She stared at him in silence, before suddenly she was out of her seat and in his face.

"!" He was surprised as a fist came flying toward his face only to stop a centimeter away from contact. The breeze created from it blew through his hair. Aimee got into a side stance, staring at him as she refused to lower her fist.

"... Is it gone?"

"?"

"Is the darkness clouding around you gone?"

"Wha-"

"You can't give in to the darkness like that, it'll only drag you down." She interrupted him, finally lowering her fist to point a finger at his heart. "Many things I've noticed that you are, Soma, but cruel is not one of them. Your words endanger to corrupt your heart, and so yourself. You shouldn't hide away what should always never be caged."

"!"

"You're too kind, Soma. You beat yourself up too much, Sweetheart. If only your heart wasn't so big, you hurt easily and hid yourself because of that."

"!" His eyes widened at her words as her finger slid off his chest and she started to walk off into the elevator. Duke got up from the bench and followed behind her.

"You don't have to hide anymore, Soma. So come out already." She said to him before the elevator doors closed.

"..." Soma just stared at the elevator in a stump. What the hell was up with these Rookies? Old or new, he would never understand them.


	11. Chapter 11

Team work is the key... but what exactly is the lock?

The Bonds

A new dawn had risen, and Sakuya was watching the morning news on Entrance Floor's television. Apparently the people and unions of the Outer Ghettos were peacefully protesting Fenrir again, demanding for more jobs and more rations. Sakuya silently watched the news until she saw Aimee come onto the floor.

"Hey, this way, this way." Sakuya waved over to Aimee.

"Hey, Sakuya. What are you watching?"

"Fenrir Broadcasting System, apparently the Outer Ghetto are protesting against Fenrir again."

"Hm, has violence broken out?"

"No, the marches have disperse fairly peacefully."

"I find that hard to believe."

"What?"

"Either this station is censoring a lot of detail or the work of protesting has drastically changed."

"What do you mean?"

"Back in my day, outbreaks like this usually ended in violence depending on the party or the topic of protest." Aimee explained. "Sometimes it's the law enforcements that over react and break out into violence, varying from pepper spraying, gassing, and tasering to downright beating protestors or sicking dogs on them. Or it breaks out into violence varying from defacing and destroying public property to viciously beating down people or sexual assault outbreaks. Either way, something usually went down, a true peaceful protest has yet to be accomplished."

"Boy, your time was pretty rough."

"And yours is ironically peaceful." Aimee shot back.

"Alright, point taken." Sakuya said, both of them remained quiet until the news went off. "You know, I've been hearing about you and the other guys. You're exceeding expectations, they can't praise you enough!"

"Thank you for the compliment, but it was not my intentions to do this for praise."

"That's good, but, uh... try not to over do it, okay?" Sakuya said in serious concern. "You see... the best of God Eaters... tend to die young."

"Meaning I've got a long life ahead of me. Is that what you're saying?" Lindow commented, sneaking in on them from the level stairs. His small comment drastically lighten up the mood around the two as Sakuya began to lightly chuckle.

"Keeping executive's hours as usual?" Sakuya joked along.

"Sure, because I'm an executive. Alright, another day at work guys! It'll be the three of us today."

BARK!

"Heh ha, I'm sorry, I mean the four of us today." Lindow grinned down at Duke as he happily wagged in approval at being included. "I'll be taking the lead. Sakuya, you're the backup."

"Roger."

"And you two are the commandos." Lindow instructed to Aimee and Duke. "Show us what a Guardian can do."

Lindow would've went on but his cell phone began to ring, and the text that he received made him suddenly turn serious.

"Anything else?" Sakuya asked, trying to break Lindow out of his sudden funk.

"Well, uh... don't die, alright?" Lindow replied, putting his phone away. Where it remained out of sight and out of mind.

"Thanks for your very thorough orders, big boss." Sakuya said with a giggle, getting Lindow to grin again. Aimee didn't know why so many of them had to go on this mission, it was just two Cocoon Maidens and an Ogretail.

*** With another group ***

Yet again Kota was assign to take care of a Kongou for the day, and again it would be accompanied by Zygotes. The only difference this time was that it was in the Wailing Plains and Yummie and Ron would be joining him for the mission.

"Alright, let's go guys!" Kota cheered at his team.

"Yo-okay!" "Let's do this." Yummie and Ron agreed with them. Momo screeched in agreement as well, as Terra rose to his back legs and kneed before jumping off the Starting Point.

They all made their way to the right as two Zygotes popped from the ground. Kota shot the closes one down while Yummie threw a slicing ring at the other. By the time Ron got to them they were already dead, leaving Momo to devour the cores. Lucky for Ron, the Kongou was just up ahead and it saw the whole thing, so it came marching at them for a fight.

At last he got a turn in the match, but it didn't turn out to a good start as the Kongou came down with a body slam, knocking Yummie back from the force.

"Whoa!" Yummie cried out as she fell on her butt.

"Careful, this Aragami knows how to use its weight." Kota warned as he continued to fire as the Kongou as it was getting back up.

"Thank you, I'll keep that in mind." Yummie replied back. Getting back on her feet and releasing a hard throw with her ring to destroy the Kongou's pummel armor while Ron attacked the face. Angered, the Kongou tried to hit them with its twirling tornado fists, but Ron jumped back in time.

"Oh no you don't. Terra, now!" Ron instructed to his PAR who was going to give the Kongou a piece of its own medicine. Terra had charged up a lightning attack from its antlers and shot it right at the Kongou, letting out a wailing sound as the Kongiu was knocked back off its feet. Nervous, the Kongou ran off, but it didn't go far.

Kota had sent out a shot to its back, knocking it off its feet again. While down, Ron had moved to the front to destroy the face armor before delivering the final downward thrust to its skull to finish it off. Terra had moved in to extract the core while Momo had returned to wrap around Yummie.

"Alright! We nailed it this time too!" Kota fist pumped to the sky.

"That was an easy victory." Ron commented whacking off the blood from his blade.

"You said it." Yummie agreed when Momo started to shreak with excitement, drawing everybody's attention. "What is it? You want to show mommy something?"

Yummie cooed at her PAR before it pulled out waste from under it and flung it at the dead Kongou's face.

"Ew!" "Oh that is just vile!" Kota and Ron shouted in disgust. Their complaints went to deaf ears with Ymmuie as she continued to praise her PAR.

"That's how it's done, Spunky Monkey!"

*** Another Group ***

Two Kongous had been spotted in the Forgotten Carrier area. Kanon and Brendan were sent to exterminate them along with Azuma, Kamali, and their PARs. The group didn't even have to travel far, the first Kongou had met up with them in Sector B.

Each team member stayed on a respective side, PARs staying with their partner, as they unleashed their force upon the Kongou. With Anzi going through a power and size boost just by the sight of the Aragami, the Kongou didn't even last a minute for them. With Anzi staying behind to devour the core they ran ahead to finish off the last Kongou.

Which again, they didn't have to go far since the Kongou was waiting for them in the next section. Amon flew above the fighting ground and out of the way the whole time, waiting for the moment when he could be of help. Getting in a good sucker punch on Kamali, the Kongou had socked her off her feet and got in the first hit.

"Ah!" Kamali cried out as her back smacked down on the pavement.

Angered by its actions, Azuma went in for a dash slice on the Kongou and broke off its face armor while Kanon shot it off its feet. While on the ground, Kamali had gotten up and whipped off its pummel armor. Kanon had knocked back Brendan and Azuma with her cannon blast, but at least Brendan had gotten in the final blow.

"Didn't I tell you to stay out of my line of fire?!" Kanon growled at them as they got on their feet. Amon had hissed at her while coming to land on Azuma's shoulder, angered that she had harmed his partner without remorse.

"Stupid girl!" Kamali huffed at Kanon in one of her rare moments of being upset. "You must watch where you are firing before you pull the trigger."

"Ah!" Kanon screamed, ignoring what Kamali had just said as she fired her cannon at Anzi who had caught her by surprise when he caught up to the group and started extracting the last Kongou's core. Running on instinct, Kamali jumped in front of her PAR and blocked Kanon's shot with her shield. "!"

"Hey!" Azuma nearly growled at Kanon for even firing at Kamali.

"What did I just say?"

"I-I I'm sorry, your thing caught me off guard, my finger slipped."

"'His' name is Anzi."

"I-I'm sorry!"

"(Sigh) Look, it was an accident. Nobody was hurt, so let's let bygones be bygones." Brendan called in the middle, trying to keep the peace.

"Very well..." Kamali agreed, returning to her usual calming tone. "But only if she apologizes to Anzi."

"!" Kanon stared at the monstrous PAR in disbelief that Kamali would even ask her of this. But as she looked up at the beast that she thought should honestly be buried six feet under, she pushed back her thoughts and brought the words that needed to be brought out. "Sorry, Anzi..."

But Kanon was startled when the PAR let out a groan and gave her a smile as it placed a large hand to gently pat her head. For something so ugly, it was actually very sweet. She guessed she could call it an ugly cute.

"See... Anzi's not so bad, is he?"

*** Another Group ***

The day was coming to an end, and the last group had just gotten done taking care of some stray Zygotes in the Tranquil Temple. Karel and Shun had slightly kept their distance from Gina as she was experiencing a Sis-mance with Nonna.

"I saw lots of lovely flowers in bloom today."

"Your shots were quite brilliant." Nonna complimented to Gina.

"You're too kind, your shots were far more superior. It was like your bullets were eating the Aragami alive, I liked it."

"Please, your shots were like that of a professional. It must have taken you years of training to get so good."

"There's no real training to it, I just love shooting my sniper rifle. I wake up each morning ecstatic to go after Aragami, the whole thing is so painfully exciting that I can't wait to fire."

"My God, if you weren't straight I'd kiss the brains out of you."

"What's stopping you?"

"Oh oh oh, where have you been all my life?"

"Enough of the flirting ladies, can we head back now?" Shun interrupted the two from their own little world as their team started to walk back to the Starting Point.

"This whole mission was a waste of my time." Karel commented as they walked back. "The reward was pitiful."

*** Later that night in Dr. Sakaki's Lab ***

"Hey, Doc."

"Soma, this is an odd surprise. Why the late visit?"

"I need you to do me a favor."

"Oh?"

"I need you to..." but then Soma began to mumble the last part, and move his head lower so his hood covered his face.

"What was that? I couldn't hear you."

"I said..." but he continued to mumble that last part but a little bit louder.

"You need to speak up, Soma."

"I need you to get me some music books." Soma burst out aloud, his cheeks were burning scarlet.

"My, my, my, Soma. Since when did you pick up such a cultured hobby?" Dr. Sakaki chuckled with a giant fox-grin.

"Shove it, Doc. Can you get it for me or not?" Soma said with embarrassment, crossing his arms making it look like he was pouted.

Dr. Sakaki decided to ease up on Soma. The poor kid must of had a hard time coming to him with this favor, he even waited until no one else was around to ask him. If the boy wanted to pick up a positive pass time who was he to stop him?

"Alright, Soma. I should be able to get you some lesson books for you by tomorrow. I'll even put them in an envelop so no one else has to know." Dr. Sakaki grinned as Soma's muscles eased up and relaxed at the last part. "So what kind of instrument books do you want?"

"... Violin..."

*** The next day ***

The day started out gray, leaving Soma to believe that it was going to rain later that day. But the day wouldn't make the Aragami stop, he had missions to get done. Apparently he was facing off against a crocodile-shark-like Aragami called Gboro-Gboro in the Sunken Grid today. He wouldn't mind if he was going against them alone, but he was stuck with the baggage of a team. Not only was he stuck with Aimee, he was stuck with Jack...

"I can handle this alone." Soma groaned out.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, mate." Jack said waving Soma's loner attitude off. Eli stayed wrapped around Jack's shoulder like a giant necklace as he pulled out his boomerang. "Right, let's get this show on the road."

"Grr," Soma growled out in annoyance at Jack's carefree attitude as he jumped off the Starting Point ahead of them.

"Don't be grumpy, Soma." Aimee cooed at him, rubbing the top of his head, hood and all, as Duke rubbed along his leg. "Working alone is so lonely."

"That's the point of being alone." Soma growled out in growing frustration as her hand continued rubbing his head and he couldn't find the will to compel himself to stop her. All he could do was cross his arms and slightly twitch in irritation.

"Trust me, it'll be fun." She assured to him with a light giggle. The sound was like wind chimes to Soma's ears, he almost got lost in it. That is until Aimee shouted at him with a laugh as she jumped off the Starting Point with Duke. "Come on, Slowpoke."

"Hmph, troublesome baggage." Soma grumbled out as he jump after the troublemakers.

Jack and Aimee had made a run for it to the left, Aimee easily catching up to Jack due to her lack of extra weight. Not one to be left behind, or leaving those two alone for that matter, Soma started picking up his pace tapping into his enhanced ability. The first thing they bumped into was an Ogre tail.

"Good day, mate." Jack grinned at it as he came down hard on it with his boomerang. The other Ogretail came running into the scene. While Eli slithered down Jack to extract the dead Ogretail's core Jack threw his boomerang at the on coming one. "Come to join the party?"

"No you don't," Aimee sassed out, passing Jack to getting the finishing punches on the Ogretail. "Mine."

"Alright, alright, it's all yours, love." Jack said, raising his hands in surrender while Duke went to eat out the core. "Well, there's always that Gboro thing to look forward to. Where do you think it is by the way?"

"Straight ahead," Soma simply answer as the Gboro came flopping its way toward them.

"Blimy, get a load of those teeth!" Jack hackled out.

"Is it hungry or just happy to see us?" Aimee joked around.

"Quit fooling around and don't get in my way." Soma ordered at them as the Gboro made a stop in front of them.

"Crikes, this croc's got guns." Jack pointed out as the Gboro got ready to fire its head cannon. But Aimee just ran in front of it, punching it in its face until she knocked it back thus stopping its attack. "Well check out the balls on you, Aimee."

"Suck it, Jack." Aimee shot back, while Duke lead up to sink his teeth into the Gboro's cannon. Aimee made a dash to its backside to attack its tail. "We need to take this guy down."

"Right, like hunting in the Down Under." Jack grinned as he started attacking the front with Soma.

Aimee saw that its moving was going to be a problem, noticing how the fins were more vulnerable than the rest of its body Aimee came down on it with a hard downward kick. The blow knocked the Gboro flat on its stomach.

"Rotten piece of meat." Soma growled at the Aragami as he came down on it with a crushing blow that destroyed its torso cannons. Aimee continued bombarding its fins until the Aragami went down. "Man, is that it."

"Well that was a good croc fight." Jack shot out while Soma extracted the core.

"So, Soma, did you have fun?"

"Be quiet, woman." Soma groaned out.

*** With another group ***

"Ambush!" Brendan called out as the team was surrounded by three Cocoon Maidens, spewing out the Tranquil Temple's ground.

Instantly coming to his partner's rescue, Anzi charged into a red rage as he came down upon the closest Cocoon Maiden in front of it. Brendan took care of the Cocoon Maiden in the back of them, while Azuma and Tatsumi handled the one on the side. The Cocoon Maidens went down easily with their team-up.

But just as the Cocoon Maidens went down their targets came charging out the main temple. Three Ogretails came running after them, mouths ready to take a bite. Kamali stopped them in their tracks, while the boys went ahead to slice them down.

"(Huff) Well that could've turned out bad." Tatsumi sighed out.

"But it didn't." Kamali pointed out as Anzi calmed back to normal after devouring the Cocoon Maidens' cores with Amon, and came up to Kamali to lift her onto his shoulder. "It's best to focus on the now than the what ifs in life."

"..."

"Let us go home." Kamali simply said to them as they got done extracting the Ogretail cores. Anzi turned around and headed back to the Starting Point, Kamali still on his shoulder.

"..." Azuma stared at the two as they went off before following after them when Amon landed on his shoulder.

"Hey, I've been meaning to ask you." Brendan called out to Azuma, making him stop in his tracks. "You seem to only go on missions with Kamali. Why is that?"

"..." Azuma simply turned his head to stare at Brendan in the eyes. "Because she reminds me that I'm human."

"?!" The two of them just raised a brow as Azuma just simply started to walk off again towards Kamali and the Starting Point.

"What do you think he means by that?" Brendan asked over to Tatsumi.

"Exactly how it sounds." Tatsumi simply answered, noticing something that Brendan was missing. Leaving it for Brendan to find out himself, Tatsumi started walking back too. Clicking on his communicator he connected to the front desk. "Hey, Hibari! We just got done..!"

*** Later that night ***

Soma was sitting in his room, grumbling on his couch with his violin and bow as he tried to make sense of his music book. Dr. Sakaki had dropped them off in front of his room in a big yellow envelope while he was out on a mission. And now he sat there trying to tune his strings and get through one bloody scale.

He felt ridiculous doing this, but it did have a natural fit with him. It felt like this instrument was made for his hands. He strung his first note, too hard, the sound screeched in his ears. Easing up on the bow, he got a sound that actually resembled a note. He strung another note, getting a deeper tone. Playing around a little, he decided to play random notes in a song with no scale, or rhythm for that matter.

It had a natural feel to Soma. And he wouldn't lie, it kinda made him feel good.

"See, I told you you were a natural."

"!" His eyes shot wide open at the sudden intrusion and turned toward the offender leaning on his door frame.

"Get out of my room!" He barked at Aimee only causing her to giggle.

"Why? The show was starting to get good." She ducked as a bow came flying at her like a spear. "Alright, alright, I'm going."

"Hmph," Soma grunted out as she disappeared behind the door. Tossing the bow back into his room before the door closed. "Annoying, brat."

*** The next day ***

Aimee was waiting at the City of Mercy's Starting Point with Sakuya, Kota, and Soma for Lindow to start their mission. He was running a little late, as the sun was starting to rise higher. Soma had started busying himself with maintaining his God Arc when Lindow finally showed up.

"Hey, it's another great day to work! Return to base safe and sound. That's all."

"Huh? That's it?" His lack of instructions was not sitting well with Kota.

"You won't last long if you keep questioning him like that." Sakuya lectured to Kota.

"What a drag..." Soma groaned out in annoyance.

'But it's blindingly following leaders that has lead mankind to dark times continuously, Sakuya.' Aimee thought to herself, remaining silent out of respect for Sakuya and Lindow. They had an innocence about them, they didn't need to know the dark things she had seen. But then again, it's forgetting the past that makes it repeat itself...

"Good to see that except for one of us our souls are one."

"!" Aimee was shot out of her thoughts when she noticed that Lindow was addressing that statement at her and the others started to stare. His words stung... she had always felt a little different than the others in many ways. To have it thrown at her aloud... struck hard at her heart. "..."

"Tst," Soma silently growled out as he saw the sad look come over her face. That was an uncalled for point out from Lindow, even if it was a joke. That look in her eyes made something inside of him boil, she was suppose to always have a smile on her face not that damn frown.

"Haha! I'm just kidding." Lindow finally said, noticing how his joke had struck a nerve in Aimee... and Soma. "And don't look so sad."

"..." She tried to smile at Lindow as she looked back up again, but the smile didn't really reach her face. Duke rubbed his mussel on her hand in comfort.

"This is the first four person mission these members have performed together. Just do what you always do."

"Huh? Wait, what about you, Lindow?" Kota asked.

"Well, you see I've been asked on a secret date right after this. So it's just going to be the four of you today." Lindow answered, pulling out his phone to check a text. "If I don't get there in time my date will get mad and leave. Talk about impatient."

His words were normal enough, but Aimee couldn't help but notice the worried look on Sakuya's and Soma's face at his words.

"I'm taking off now guys. My orders are the usual: Don't die, make sure you come back alive."

"They're your own orders." Soma shot back at Lindow. "Better make sure you follow them yourself."

"Try not to stay out too late, Lindow, okay?" Sakuya said to Lindow with hidden concern. Lindow gave her a wave before walking off. With Sakuya in command she took charge of the team. "All right, let's go!"

Following her orders, they all jumped down from the Starting Point to take care of the three Zygotes and Kongou in the area...

*** Later that day ***

The mission was done, with little to no trouble, the First Unit had made it back to the Den. Entering the Entrance as they exited the Mission Elevator. They were greeted by the surprise of Lindow waiting for them in the lounge area. Happy to see him, Sakuya was the first to walk up to him.

"So you managed to make it back before us." She started to smile at him. "Good work today."

"Yeah, I managed to wrap things up earlier than expected. How'd you guys do?"

"As per your command- the same as usual." Soma answered as the others finally made their way beside Sakuya.

"Right," Sakuya agreed. "We fulfilled our mission, and didn't lose anyone."

"You should've seen us! Brilliant teamwork- we were so tight!" Kota added in with excitement.

"I don't recall you being of much use." Soma snarkly shot back at Kota.

"What the...?!" Kota gasped out before lowering his upper half in shame, Sakuya lightly giggled at his antics.

"Is that right? Then I guess it won't hurt to go on more dates in the future." Lindow commented lightly.

"Huh? Aren't you suppose to hook me up with girls first?" Kota somewhat whined.

"Huh?" Lindow said in confusion, before actually getting what Kota was saying... as if he meant it to mean something else than what Kota thought. "Right, like you could handle a girl."

"!" Sakuya had flinched at his joke as if she got what it meant. Then suddenly the announcements came on, saying that the 7th Unit had successfully detached the core of an Ouroboros. For some reason that news made the Den shoot back to life with excitement.

"What's an Ouroboros?" Kota asked what Aimee could not. "Is it powerful?"

"It'll pop up if you search the Terminal." Soma answered, annoyed at Kota's lack of research on things that he was going to face on the job. "Do your homework for once."

"Well, I don't think we're quite ready to take it on just yet." Sakuya nervously pointed out.

"What?! Not even with a team like ours?" Kota said with a whine.

"One or two casualties, definitely." Soma said to Kota with a grin.

"Hey, come on." Lindow jumped in, trying to cheer the fresh blood up in the Den. "If we can survive somehow we'll get it eventually... Don't worry about that now, just focus on staying alive."

"You know that line's getting really old..."

"Right, and I'll say it to you til I'm blue in the face. You'd probably head to your own death if I wasn't watching."

"Damn you...shut up!"

Although... Lindow has been noticing the changes in Soma nowadays. He's not as angry as he use to be, he's opening up more, he's even interacting with people better than before. Ever since Aimee got here, he's been changing for the better. It's only been a couple of weeks and already the girl was having a major impact on the Den... she was being rather quiet today.

"Whoa, yes sir." Lindow joked around at Soma as he noticed a vein start to pop out on his forehead. Laughing as he got on his feet. "Okay, I've got another date coming up so I'm going for a hardy meal."

Soma and Sakuya watched Lindow walk off in concern. Soon Sakuya and Kota were next to head off. But Soma had to stop Aimee as she was about to leave... she had been far too quiet since Lindow had made that joke. She hasn't said a word all day and it didn't sit well with Soma.

"Hey..." Soma called out to Aimee, grabbing her by the wrist.

"?" She stared at where they skin made contact then looked up at him.

"There's a Gboro causing trouble in the Wailing Plains..." Soma explained, having a hard time keeping eye contact with her. "You wanna come...?"

"... I'd like that." She final spoke for the first time that day, giving him a small but warm smile.

*** Later at the Wailing Plains ***

The two of them were resting after the thrill of the fight. Aimee and Soma had worked their way to the left and around the circle. Taking care of the three Cocoon Maidens spread around the three directions before taking out the Gboro. Now Soma leaned against the building in Section H, arms crossed and hood covering him from the showers as he watched Aimee dance in the rain with the joy of a child.

"(Giggle) This is great, it's just what I needed!" Aimee happily laughed, twirling around with her arms out, looking to the sky as the rain kissed her skin. "How did you know I would like this?"

"I had a feeling..."

"(Giggle) Well thank you." She said, stopping in her track to face him with her hands behind her back and smiled at him. "You've really made my day."

"Tst, whatever." Soma huffed out, turning his eyes away as the genuine happiness in her eyes burned into his soul. How could she be so happy about such a little thing?

She laughed at his shy antics, causing him to blush in frustration and embarrassment. She turned around, giving him his privacy, her shoulders shook as she giggled into her hand. Soma stared at her back, her hair glittered with rain droplets as it hung down her back like a waterfall.

"..." Such an appealing shine it had, how soft it looked. Before Soma knew it, he was cupping a lock of her raven hair between his fingers. He didn't know what compelled him to do it, but he had the urge to do it deep in his heart. It felt... soft. And sorta warm, which was strange in this cold rainy place.

"!" Aimee stopped in her laughter, frozen in place as she felt Soma's sturdy fingers. Ever so slowly she turned her head to look at him, slightly turning to the side. His little action, this feeling it gave... it felt like something... she had felt before... "Soma...?"

"..." Soma didn't have any words that could explain his actions to her. Unable to say anything, he gently let her lock slip from his fingers. Putting his hands in his pockets as he starts to head back, he could feel her eyes on the back of his head and it made him blush. His fingers... still tingled with her warmth.


	12. Chapter 12

Where is the line between dreams and memories when you sleep?

Team Work Buildup

_He was dreaming again... this time the dream lasted for days. He was 15 now, a young man now, he noticed that the times of innocence has gone..._

_The caravan had gone on the move again on their ancient path of travel, it was inevitable that they would pack up and move again they were nomads. They traveled the road following their Leader's caravan, tossing some seeds as they go to let nature decide whether it grows or not. They had passed several villages, even gone through some. They were not welcomed..._

_Those gossiping whispers, those judgmental stares. Soma was use to such behavior from others, but to this extent, and it hurt him that his family would have to suffer through them too. These Europeans had so much hate for his people for things they couldn't control. They despised his people for just being them. He still flinched at the memory at that one man that called him a parasite. Apparently his people were considered a cancer on modern society and they were not welcomed, a plague would be more welcomed than they were._

_But it all wasn't that bad. There were some good things about things now that the curtains of innocence lifted._

_Aimee... she had slowly budded to a beautiful young woman. She was petite compared to what she was now, but a beauty nonetheless. He would watch her as she sat by her father in their caravan. They had been friends for years but something inside him yearned for more..._

_They had played together, they had hung out all the time and he couldn't get enough of it._

_The caravan had finally came to a stop at one of their ancient pilgrimage hamlets. They had worked all day helping set up the tents, and now they were taking a well earned rest after the job was done. Soma and Aimee had made their way into the area's forest. Soma had taken it upon himself to rest on top of a boulder while Aimee played among the trees. Soma couldn't help but watch her as she twirled among the trees, it made him feel so peaceful. But his heart would go aflutter beyond his control whenever she would look back at him and start to blush. It was a lovely shade that complemented her skin tone and it made him feel that... perhaps she wanted more too._

_Suddenly the gray clouds decided to burst. The air had been calling for rain all day, and now the droplets began to dance on the earth, as their drops let out a tune as they fell in the forest. Aimee loved every second, she began to dance as the rain began to soak her baby blue dress. She looked so lovely, like a sprite in the rain, Soma couldn't tear his eyes away from her._

_She began to blush, her dance slowed down as he slowly approached her. He didn't know what compelled him to do it, he didn't even know the song, but he began to sing to her. The rain played him a beat like a piano._

_ "A drop in the ocean_

_a change in the weather_

_I was praying that you and me might_

_end up together_

_It's like wishing for rain_

_as I stand in the desert_

_But I'm holding you closer than most_

_Cause you are my_

_Heaven."_

_She blushed at his song, eyes widen as she slowly moved around the trees. He followed her close on the other side each time as their eyes never tore away from each other._

_"I don't wanna waste the weekend_

_If you don't love me pretend_

_A few more hours than it's time to go_

_As my train rolls down the east coast_

_I wonder how you keep warm_

_It's too late to cry_

_Too broken to move on_

_Still I can't let you be_

_Most nights I hardly sleep_

_Don't take what you don't need _

_from me_

_It's just a drop in the ocean_

_A change in the weather_

_I was praying that you and me might_

_end up together_

_It's like wishing for rain as I stand in the desert_

_But I'm holding you closer than most_

_Cause you are my _

_heaven"_

_The sky still played them its beat as they slowly danced around each other in a no contact waltz. Her fingers slid along the trees as his did the same on the other side. Soma had no idea what was wrong with him or what the hell he was doing right now, but he couldn't stop..._

_"Misplaced trust in old friends_

_Never counting the regrets_

_By the grace of God _

_I do not rest at all_

_In new England as the leaves change_

_The last excuse that I'll claim_

_I was a boy who loved a woman like_

_a little girl."_

_"!" Gasping at his words, Aimee moved to the other side of the trees as he tried to reach her. And again the dance continued on switched sides._

_"And still I can't let you be_

_Most nights I hardly sleep_

_Don't seek what you don't need_

_from me_

_It's just a drop in the ocean_

_A change in the weather_

_I was praying that you and me might_

_end up together_

_It's like wishing for rain as I stand in_

_the desert_

_But I'm holding you closer than most_

_Cause you are my..._

_Heaven doesn't seem so far away anymore_

_No, no_

_Heaven doesn't seem so far away_

_Heaven doesn't seem so far away anymore_

_No, no_

_Heaven doesn't seem so far away"_

_Soma had no idea he could hold a note like that. Apparently neither did Aimee as he caught her off guard, giving him time to sneak around the tree and trap her between his arms._

_"! There she was, caged between Soma's arms and the tree with no where to go. Her large blush burning in all for Soma to see. But that didn't stop him, it just pushed him to go on._

_"A drop in the ocean_

_A change in the weather_

_I was praying that you and me might_

_end up together_

_ It's like wishing for rain as I stand in_

_the desert_

_But I'm holding you closer than most_

_Cause you are my_

_Heaven_

_You are my heaven."_

_"!" Her eyes melted as his hand went to cup her cheek. Here they were, standing in the rain getting soaked to the bone. But none of it matter as the world seemed to fade away all but them. Unable to help herself, Aimee leaned away from the tree, closing her eyes as she closed in on Soma for a kiss._

_His heart raced as her lips beg for his acceptance. Not wanting to disappoint her, he closed in on her too with half-lid eyes. The forest felt like it was on fire when their lips met, it was the best taste that ever graced Soma's lips before. Sinking into it, he wrapped his arms around her as her petite arms found their way around his neck. Her lips tasted so sweet and felt... warm._

"!" Soma shot up awake, frustrated and crestfallen. He knew it was a damn dream but it felt so real. Aimee's lips had felt so soft and not once did she call him by Silas. He knew that he was walking in Silas's skin, but it felt like she was kissing him not Silas.

But... it was just a dream. He couldn't even prove if it was a memory. He turned his head to look at the violin that was resting aside his sink counter. Angered by its sight, he rose from his bed over to it, violently taking it into his hand and raising it up as if to break it on the floor. This damn violin... was this Aimee's way of making him into Silas? Was that all she saw when she looked at him, Silas?!

His eyes started to glow with rage, pupils slitting further, as he got ready to break the damn violin. But... she gave him this violin... She gave 'him' a gift. And she has been calling him Soma ever sense she learned his name, unlike him who hasn't even said her name once.

She cared... she cared about him more than most. Always there by his side, seeking him out, even when he's brooding in the dark. Could he really destroy the gift she gave him...?

Taking a deep breath and sighing out, Soma gently lowered his hand and placed the violin back in its resting place. Playing the bloody thing relaxed him anyway, he shouldn't axe the violin for unsound reasons.

"Ugh..." Since he was up, he mind as well start the day anyway.

*** Infernal Subway ***

"Hey..." Soma called out to Aimee, striking up a conversation. Their group had split up into two to look for the target, and he got stuck with Aimee. After that dream he had last night it was a little awkward for him being alone with her. So he would do anything to avoid the wild thoughts in his mind, even started up idle chatter. "Are you burning up in here?"

"No, it's just a little warm. What about you? I should be the one asking that, you know with that coat you're wearing."

"Tst, my Oracle Cells naturally keep my body temperature stable."

"Oh! So does mine. But what brought on the question?"

"Just the... obvious." Was all Soma was going to say as his eyes looked down at her bare feet the stood unmoving on the scorching ground.

"?" Aimee tilted her head at him in confusion, but once she realize he wasn't going explain more she dropped the subject. "Looks like Sakuya and Kota got the lucky break."

"..." Soma looked over at Section I across the lava along with Aimee, observing Kota and Sakuya fighting a Cocoon Maiden along with that new birdman-like Aragami that Fenrir decided to call Chi-You.

Both teams had split once they entered the tunnels to look for the target. Soma and Aimee got the unlucky draw of going through the tunnel that lead to the circular opening. They faced two Cocoon Maidens, but that didn't pose much of a challenge. Now as Duke worked on devouring the cores they watched as Kota faced off with the Cocoon Maiden while Sakuya kept the Chi-You off of him.

"Think we should help them?"

"Yeah... let's go." Soma groaned out as they started to run back toward the others, Duke following after them a little behind. If they were lucky they would get there before Kota took out the Cocoon Maiden.

But as if jinxing themselves, Kota had finished off the Cocoon Maiden the moment they turned into the corner. Not one to miss a fight, they run up the tunnel way to help out the others with the Chi-You. While Duke went to devour the Cocoon Maiden's core, Aimee leaped at the Chi-You. Aimee could guess that the Aragami was bottom heavy due to its armored legs so her best bet was to attack its top. Soma's God Arc was strong enough to attack its armor and still do hefty damage, she would strike were she was most useful. Jumping at it with a combo hit she had it running. But with a twirling kick she had broken off its wing armor and knocked it down to the ground. While it was still down, Kota continued to fire. But it was Soma's charged blow that finally finished it off. Not wasting any time, Soma extracted the core so they could head out.

"All right, did you see that?! I told you we make a good team we were so awesome!"

"We can hear you just fine, there's no need to yell." Soma growled, irritated that Kota would have to cheer loudly so close to him.

"All in a day's work."

"You said it." Sakuya giggled in agreement with Aimee, the cheerful attitude was contagious. Well, to most of them...

"Let's not wonder around, I need to get to a mission this afternoon." Soma grumble out in complaint.

"Oh man, that totally sucks." Kota said back in sympathy. "Glad I'm not in your shoes."

"What are you talking about, Kota? We've got a mission in the Forgotten Carrier after this." Aimee pointed out.

"Oh great..." Kota groaned out, lowering his upper half in a washout manner.

*** Later that day ***

They had to face a Chi-You again. It took a little longer than the first went since it was only the two of them. But again, Aimee had taken the Chi-You down to its knees by breaking off the wing armor and Kota helped finish it off with his backup fire. Now they had returned to the Den, and apparently so did Soma. He didn't tell them what his mission was, but what ever it was had to be done solo. He didn't look tired and he was unharmed so it must have been a light mission.

Noticing their return, Soma walked up to Aimee while Kota went to relax and unwind on the lounge's couches.

"Hey, Aimee, have you ever felt someone's presence around the old office ruins?"

"!" Aimee looked at Soma in shocked. Soma couldn't tell if it was because of the question or the fact that he had finally called her by her name. "No, I haven't..."

"Tst, thanks anyway. Sorry to bother you." Soma may have growled the words out but his voice was sincere.

"Are you looking for something?"

"Nothing you need to concern yourself with."

"Jeez, Soma talking politely to others. The sky must be falling." Kota mocked out in playful surprise from his seat on the couch. "How come Aimee gets the special treatment while I get sass?"

"Buzz off, Squirt." Soma growled back him.

"And there it is!" Kota lightly laughed pointing back at Soma before minding his own business.

"Gh, noisy brat." Soma grumble toward Kota with a hiss before turning back to Aimee. "So, you free for another mission?"

"I think I can make room..." Aimee jokingly replied.

*** Sunken Grid ***

"Your head isn't really in this one, Soma, is there something on your mind?" Aimee asked as they finally took down the last Gboro in the area.

The mission had called for them to take down two Gboros. The first one made it easy for them by coming down from the hole up on the wall in Sector O. Soma had stayed to the front while Aimee attacked from the back. The Gboro went down soon after Soma had broken off the torso cannon armor. But he was the one that needed to extract the core since Aimee left Duke at the Den to give him a break. PARs usually didn't like separating from their partners, but they would reluctantly do it if it was an order from their partner.

They nearly had to go around in a complete circle before they bumped into the last Gboro in Sector C, taking out a stray Ogretail halfway along the search. Soma wasn't really focusing during the fight, striking out at the Gboro in autopilot, allowing the Gboro to get a lucky charge in. That was the first time Aimee had even seen Soma get hurt during a mission, even if it was just a scratch. It surprised her and made her angry as she took out her rage on the Gboro's backside. The Aragami went down and Soma extracted the core.

"..."

"Come on, Soma, you can tell me." Aimee coast to him, trying to get him to open up. "What's wrong?"

"... What was the reason you gave me that violin?"

"Well, you needed a hobb-"

"But why 'that'? Why not something else?" Soma asked in more detail, getting frustrated.

"I told you, you had the fingers-"

"Be honest with me, is there some other reason?"

"Soma..." Aimee tiredly sighed out, calling to him.

"Does it remind you of something? Or someone?" He growled accusingly at her.

"Soma."

"Am I just a replacement to you?"

"Soma." Now she was getting frustrated, she was trying talk to him but he wasn't listening.

"Do you even see me as me?!"

"Soma!" She raised her voice, finally having enough.

"!" Soma was silenced by surprised as she cupped both of his cheeks between her hands and looked at him seriously.

"'You' are you." She sternly state. "Regardless of what you do or where you are, you are 'you'."

"!"

"Nothing will ever changed that. Nothing will ever shake your individuality." Then her express began to soften. "You will always be Soma, in my eyes and others..."

"!" Barely catching that gasp from escaping, his eyes widened as she pecked him on the cheek. Slowly releasing his cheeks, she gave him his space again.

"If you're finish, it's time to head back now..." She started walking to the Starting Point, Soma soon following behind her. She had no idea what had brought on these line of questions, but one thing was for sure... A soul never changes, regardless of how much time has passed. Either way she was still in love with this soul, whether it went by the name of Soma or Silas. It would always be beautiful to her...

*** Author's Notes ***

The song in this chapter is called 'A Drop in the Ocean' by Ron Pope. I heard the song once and instantly fell in love with it, the whole thing gave birth to this chapter and a quarter of the story. But it was another song that actually inspired the creation of this story... I'll tell you about it in a later chapter.


	13. Chapter 13

He who saves a soul, saves the universe... remember.

-Alice Madness Returns

Destined Together

"I have an introduction to make." Tsubaki had summon all of the First Unit and the Guardians to the Entrance's lounge to announce the new recruit into the Unit. Since the First Unit was responsible for the Guardians, the Guardians were considered a close affiliates. The First Unit stayed by the couches while the Guardians hung around the side railings. Apparently this new member was a new kind of Gods Eater, an advancement of both gun and blade. "This is a New-Type Recruit; she will be joining your ranks today."

The girl stood tall and her head was held high. But her clothes... left little to the imagination. "Nice to meet you. My name is Alisa Illinichina Amiella. As of 1200 hours I have been transferred from the Russia Branch. I look forward to working with you."

"Hey," Yummie whispered over to Nonna, lightly elbowing her for attention. She seemed so happy by the news that they have found a common ground with the new girl. "Another one from Mother Russia, looks like you'll be making a friend."

"Hn," was all Nonna could respond to Yummie's enthusiasm. Unlike Ron, who had grown a close friendship with Brendan due to their USA origins, Nonna felt like the same wouldn't apply for her and this new girl. She had this arrogance about her that Nonna could conclude birthed from many insecurities. But what really threw out the deal is what Nonna saw in Alisa's eyes...

"Hey, girls are always welcomed here." Kota commented, louder than the girls did.

"I'm amazed that you survived this long with that frivolous attitude of yours." She replied with a demeaning tone that Kota didn't pick up.

"Huh?"

"..." Aimee was not pleased with what she saw. She ad been there for a few minute and already the girl separated herself from the group, casting herself as the superior specimen. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and already the chain had been weaken sense she refuses to even link with the other links.

"She doesn't have actual combat experience but her score in the simulation were stellar." Tsubaki informed.

'So in other words, it's useless numbers.' Aimee thought to herself. If the girl hasn't even tasted the battlefield once, at the very least an Ogretail, and already she was still arrogant... than it was nothing more than false pride that was destined to topple down. And she did not want to be there when it did... nor did she want her comrades to be there.

"So you better keep up or she'll surpass you." Tsubaki informed to Kota specifically.

'I highly doubt that, not as long as she had that cloud of egotism around her.' Aimee huffed out in her mind. She didn't seem impressed, but Kota was humbled.

"Ye-yes ma'am." Kota quietly answer with a slightly lowered head.

"Everyone else is dismissed. Alisa, I'm leaving you in Lindow's care."

"Yes ma'am."

"Lindow, come with me. I have some paperwork for you." While Lindow and Tsubaki left through the elevator, Aimee, Kamali, and Nonna left with their PARs through the mission elevators while the others stayed and chatted with the new girl.

"So you're from Russia. Isn't it cold there? Well I guess with global warming..."

"Aimee..." Nonna said over her in the elevator.

"I know..." Was all Aimee replied back. As the doors close they heard Alisa reply one thing as Yummie began to approach Alisa with her PAR.

"My word, what is that ghastly thing?!"

That was all the girls needed to hear... the new girl was judgmental.

"I sense a darkness around her..." Kamali replied, as she gently rubbed Anzi's hand to comfort him from the indirect cruelty of Alisa's words.

"Yes..." Aimee agreed, rubbing Dukes head as he lifted it up to her. "We'd best be careful around her..."

*** Days later ***

The new recruit, Alisa, had yet to join them on missions. Until she has gotten the clearance from Lindow to go on active duty, she was to remain in cybernetic training. But she was still under Lindow's tutelage so he had taken her under his wings to tag along with him in the Den.

She was not a pleasant company to keep, Alisa kept critiquing everybody that she met. Always finding a flaw in their abilities, even though she hasn't stepped one foot out of the Den. Aimee wanted to hate her for her judgmental character, but she couldn't. Even as she was badmouthing about Tatsumi while they were all sitting in the Mesh Hall for lunch.

"And another thing, he's too care free. How can a Leader of a unit behave in such an immature manner, it's inexcusable." Alisa continued on, bringing Aimee's thoughts back to the table.

"Aw he's fine. Tatsumi is a good leader that's always got a friendly word to say to everyone." Kota said, pleasantly coming to Tatsumi's defense. "Everybody in the Den respects the guy and his work."

"Pardon, but I cannot trust the word of the slacker who can't even stay awake for Lecture." Alisa huffed out, slightly pointing her nose in the air as she turned her head away from Kota. But Kota being the friendly guy just laughed it off, rubbing the back of his head.

"Haha, you're right. But it's hard staying awake for those things, they're so boring."

"Pfft, I'm surprised that an Aragami hasn't gotten you yet due to your lack of information."

"Whoa, easy there, love. You make it sound like we'd leave Kota for Aragami chow. The kid's got a leveled head, you'd be surprised how much he learns from visual and hand-on-hand instead of verbally." Jack stepped in, coming in to back up Kota.

"I am not your love and I don't care for his preference." Alisa snapped back at him. "If I can't even trust him to stay awake for a couple of hours, why should I trust him to have by back for a couple of hours?"

"Ouch, looks like we've got a biter here, mates."

"Seriously, your way of talking is unbecoming." Then her eyes focused of Eli, wrapped leisurely around Jack's neck. "Or that abominable creature sitting on your neck."

"!" Jack couldn't laugh that one off, she was starting to hit below the belt anyway.

"What are those ghastly things anyway?"

"I guess you could say they our equivalence to your God Arcs." Aimee explain, giving Jack a break before he popped a fuse. The guy was a gentlemen but had little to no patience for intolerance.

"Hmph, so they're like Aragami in a way, how repulsive."

"!" Ooh, that one struck a nerve.

"I gotta take a shit." Yummie rushed out, immediately getting up from her seat with Momo and booking it out of there before shit went down.

"Aren't you being a little hypocritical?" Aimee shot back at her, regaining her cool. "Your God Arcs devour Aragami like an Aragami. And we all purposely infused Oracle Cells in our body to face the Aragami, thus making us a little bit like the Aragami."

"Tst, don't give me that flawed reasoning."

"Flawed? I'm merely stating a fact. That it is what it is, do not blame me."

"Ladies, come on, ease up and let's eat our food like friends." Sakuya pleaded, trying to keep the peace.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Tachibana. But I find it hard to eat my food in peace with these little monsters sitting at my table."

"!" Nonna's trigger finger itched at that, along with Azuma's eye, it took them a second to catch themselves. They were starting to regret not leaving with Yummie, the kid had the right idea. Ron and Jack whispered among themselves as Ron tried to calm him down. Things got worst when Kamali came in, riding on Anzi's shoulder.

"What's for lunch?" She simply asked them at the table as she jumped down from Anzi.

"Dear God, what is that thing?!" Alisa shouted, nearly jumping out of her seat as she leaned back and pointed at Anzi. But Anzi turned his cheeks to her outburst, simply letting out a long groan as he waved hello to her.

"Apparently, he is the bigger person." Kamali moaned out, she was growing tired of these people's reaction to Anzi. She had just gotten back from a mission and she just wanted to have a nice meal before going out again.

"Bigger is what he is, but a false flattery to call that 'thing' a person." Alisa barked back, slightly terrified the thing looked her in the eyes as it waved. She shivered as she thought she saw its cheek bones rise in a smile.

"Foolish child, you judge what you not understand." Kamali hissed at her.

"I understand perfectly well. You're the ones turning a blind eye!" Alisa shot back.

"Such words coming from one that has such a darkness." Aimee countered back before Kamali lost her temper in those rare moments her buttons were pushed too far.

"What?!" Alisa barked, slightly gasping as Aimee lifted her head to look Alisa straight in the eyes.

"You're just a broken angel..."

"!"

"You seem so strong... but inside you're dying for reasons we cannot see because of the darkness." Aimee called her out, making the others freeze in shock. Aimee wasn't playing around the topic, she went straight for the kill. "So you try to show everyone the best of you, but you're afraid that your best isn't good enough so you lash out at others' faults. I wish you could see that, you try to impress us but you don't need to. Like an angel with crushed wings for reasons you believe that you are to blame for."

"..." All was silent as if they were standing on thin ice.

"How dare you act like you know me! Making assumptions as if you know everything. Well you know what?! You're just a- you're just a Parazit!"

" Sledi za yazykom!" Nonna shouted back at Alisa. They all could tell what Alisa had called Aimee, but Soma was the only one in the First Unit who could tell how deep the word burned... parasite.

"..." Aimee's eyes saddened at the word. But she was more sad for Alisa. She was hurt by Alisa's words, but she held no grudge toward her for it. "You're right... I don't really know? I don't even know your story ... I just see the sadness in your eyes that you try so hard to hide. And now you've grown up with this notion that you are to blame... I know, I've done the same thing too. I don't know what sadness you blame yourself for, but it turns you bitter. But you mustn't sink in to it... it'll only put you through hell."

"..." They could only stare at Aimee at her words. She was hiding something from them... something... deep.

"I don't need to take this! I don't even know why I'm listening to you, you're not even a Gods Eater!" Alisa shouted before storming out of the Mesh Hall, part of her mask... breaking.

"Otrod'ye." Nonna huffed out as Alisa disappeared behind the doors.

"Jeez, Aimee, are you alright? That seemed pretty rough..."

"I'm fine, Lindow... I'm just..."

_"Why dad? Why did you take that man's insults like that? You should've fought back!" Aimee cried to her dad as they road on their caravan after going through another hostel village as they made their way to their destination. She nearly cried at all the mean things the cruel village men said to her dad and the other caravaners for simply crossing their path. The poor twelve year, nearly thirteen, couldn't understand why these people hated them so much._

_"His words were harmless, he didn't know how to throw them so we have no need to worry. They are too much of a coward to actually turn physical so there's no need for a fight. There's no need to be angry at fools. Do not hate them for their ignorance."_

_"But I do hate them! I hate them for hurting my family! I'd wish they'd just-"_

_"Do not finish that curse!"_

_"?!"_

_"The human language is a powerful thing. There is power in words. You can bless with them or cursed with them, but be warned that they can backfire on you, with just the same amount of positive or negative effects as you initiated... You must never casually throw curses out, Aimee."_

_"But... what are we going to do?" The poor child sniffled. "Are we just going to let them say those things and not fight back?"_

_"Yes..."_

_"But... why?"_

_"Because we are going to be the bigger person..."_

"I'm being the bigger person..."

"?" Lindow raised an eyebrow at Aimee's answer. It was so mature... and yet seemed so out of place.

"I'm done. I think I'll head over to my mission in the Wailing Plains." Aimee said, getting up from her seat with Duke following behind her. She waved behind herself to Soma as she walked out. "Catch up to me when you're done, Soma."

"Tst, fine." Soma huffed out, getting up to follow her. "Wait up, I'll head out with you."

*** Wailing Plains ***

"The rain here is so peaceful, I'm starting to like this place..." Aimee commented as they rested after their mission.

"Hmph, I don't see your fascination for the rain." Soma said back to her, leaning against the broken building with his arms crossed. While Aimee simply stood out in the rain, looking to the sky with her hands behind her back.

"It's the memories behind it..." She simply answered to him. "I can't get enough of them. They make me feel warm, even through the coldest rain... I love it..."

This caused Soma to want to test something. Choosing his word carefully, he studied her reactions.

"It's just a drop in the ocean."

"!" Her eyes shot open, turning her head instantly to him with half of her body turned.

"A change in the weather..."

"..." Her reaction was more than he expected, but more than enough. The rain hid it well, but in her surprised eyes... she released a single tear. His words inflicted a reaction from her, an emotion. Those dreams... were a memory. But now laid the true question... were they someone else's... or his?

*** Author's Notes ***

Sledi za yazykom- watch your mouth

Otrod'ye- brat


	14. Chapter 14

It's amazing what certain words can have so much power on a person.

Many Worlds

"Do we even need this many people for an Ogretail?" Soma complained as they ran down the tunnel. They had just jumped down into the Infernal Subway and had already found their target to the left of them. Of course, they also found something extra...

"Guess it's kinda a good thing. What with the extra Zygote floating around." Aimee commented as she took down the Zygote while Ron and Soma took care of the Ogretail.

"I'm just saying... this mission is a little over MAN-POWERED." Soma grunted out the last part as Terra knocked over the Ogretail and he brought his God Arc down on the Ogretail with a crushing blow along with Ron. Finishing off their targets nearly at the same time, Duke was already devouring the Zygote's core by the time the Ogretail was defeated.

"All the more faster for us to head back." Aimee pointed out in a chime.

"That's not really what I meant." Soma mumbled out, crossing his arms as he looked at Ron and Terra from the corner of his eyes as Terra extracted the Zygote's core. He could deal with going on a mission alone with Aimee, but Ron was extra weight.

"Enough with your mumbling. Come on let's head back now." Aimee moaned to Soma, unable to hear what he said but knew it was bad.

"Tst, fine." Soma complied, following Aimee out with a light pout. Catching up to Soma, Ron began to whisper so Aimee couldn't hear them.

"Sorry to cramp your style." But that only earned him a punch in the shoulder. "Ouch! Okay, okay, sorry."

"Hmph." Was all Soma grunted out as they caught up with Aimee.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me." Aimee groaned out as a Zygote came flying at them by the Starting Point. "Well, I guess we won't be going home too early."

*** Sunken Grid ***

"It seems like the Den is sending us all over the place."

"Hn, so it seems."

"Hey, Soma, let's play a game." Aimee said coyly with her hands behind her back.

"A game?" Soma nearly flinched back as Aimee leaned in closer, getting in his face. Smiling at him as she had changed her hair platinum like his, and her eyes turned crimson red.

"Let's see if you can catch me before I take out all the Ogretails." She alluringly chuckled to him.

"?!" He didn't have time to react as she jumped off of the Starting Point and took a left on the circular path. Here he was, finally getting a real solo mission with Aimee and she was running off on him. "Hey wait!"

Soma chased after her, but she was faster than normal. Her hair blowing in the wind behind her like a blizzard of snow or a shooting star. She had already spotted their first Ogretail target in Section O. Stronger than usual, Aimee took the Aragami down in one punch. Leaving Duke to rest at the Den it was up to Soma to extract the core, making it harder for him to catch up with Aimee.

"Tst, troublemaker." Soma growled out in slight annoyance at his failed attempts to catch her.

She had already dive-punched a Ogretail in Section K, side dashing to upper cut another one in Sector H while Soma was extracting the last one's core. Frustrated, Soma picked up his pace to a speed he normally didn't use around others. His spring blue eyes started to glow as he tapped in to his natural enhancements.

He was able to catch up to her in Section F as she sucker punched an Ogretail while it was devouring salvaging material. Not wanting her to get away, he grabbed her wrist as he Devoured the core with his God Arc with one hand. His annoyance slowly faded as she turned to him with warm crimson eyes and that smile that would melt any ice he had in his heart.

"Aw man, you caught me." She giggle. "I was hoping I could get the last one before then."

"Are you done?"

"No, not yet." She answered, jumping out of his hold, over the platform, and into Section E where she crash landed on the last Ogretail with a crushing blow. "Now I'm done."

"Don't wonder around now." Soma groaned out as he jumped up and around the platform to make it to her. "You're enough trouble as it is."

"Sorry, Soma, I just can't help but getting excited about the world, everything is new and so different than the world I use to know." She laughed, a cheer in her step as she walked back to the Starting Point with Soma. "Makes you think what we must look to those in space."

"Tst, if there are any other worlds out there, why did we end up on this one?" Soma uttered out as he shoved his free hand in his pocket while the other held his God Arc to rest on his shoulder.

"!" Aimee stopped in place with eyes wide open, unannounced to Soma as he continued on with his rant.

"To stick us with this putrid planet is like a Divine's sick joke." He paused. Why did Aimee stop moving? Looking up at her, he saw the shock in her eyes... and the pain. "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing's wrong." She covered quickly, her body turning back to normal as her voice came out like a whimper of what it use to be. Kicking her legs back into gear, she sped walk toward the Starting Point and away from Soma. "I want to go back now."

"?!" Soma had no idea what just happened. One moment she was as happy and giddy like walking on sunshine then suddenly she was crestfallen and looking like she'd seen a ghost. "What the hell was that about?"

*** That night in a dream ***

_It was a bright night, the stars shined brightly as no light pollution covered their brilliant light. He was having those dreams again, he was still fifteen but a good amount of time had passed since the last dream. The caravan camp was a couple of yards away downhill as Soma sat on the edge of a small cliff side to look at the stars. But he wasn't alone..._

_Aimee... his supposed girlfriend... was sitting between his legs, cuddling her backside to his chest. His arms rested around her body as hers cupped them as they looked up to the stars._

_"Whoa... there's so many of them, it's almost like a sea." Aimee said in awe of the universe's beauty._

_"What did you expect out of something so big?" Soma chuckled at her pure enthusiasm for the stars. She slightly turned her head to look back at him._

_"With so many stars out there, do you ever wonder if there are other worlds out there?" His arms lightly went to hold her tighter, resting his chin on top of her head as his tongue took a will of its own. One of his arms freed themselves from embracing her to move about as he spoke as if to help visually explain._

_"If there are any other worlds out there, why did we end up on this one?"_

_"..." She looked up to him in awe as he was getting philosophical, she had grown to love when he would open up to her like this. He moved his head from the top of her head to rest his chin on her shoulder as he continued on._

_"And... suppose there are other worlds. Then ours is just... a little piece of something much greater."_

_"Hm... yeah." Aimee smiled softly at him as she agreed, resting her head to the side of his as they soaked in each others warmth. "And now that we're here, the limitless stars had told us where to go. On this long long road under our Palestine sun."_

_"The road is a second home to us, as Romani. An inheriting dream that's shipped across the generations."_

_"Shine your light for us on our road." Aimee asked up to the stars._

_"Hn, they'll always be at least one of them shining down on us."_

_"Mph, that's good, I was afraid we'd be left in the dark." Aimee joked at him._

_"What are you, scared?" Soma teased back._

_"Only a little!" She pouted back, earning an extra squeeze from Soma._

_"Then I'll hold you in the dark so you don't have to be scared."_

_"..." She smiled at him and sank into his embrace as they fell into a calming silence and looked to the sky. As the night passed on they got the surprise of the night. "(Gasp) Look!"_

_Soma didn't need to follow her pointed finger to see it, it consumed the night sky with its glory. "A meteor shower?" _

_They showered from the sky like rain, touching down on the earth and scattering through the sky. Soma didn't know why, it was idiotic to even think that way, but... something about those meteors sent a chill down his spine._

"!" Soma had woken up in the middle of the night with a fear in his heart at the last part of the dream, but also guilt from the memory of his words... So that's why she seemed so sad... "Damn it all."

*** Author's Notes ***

Okay... this was the chapter that actually gave birth to the whole story. It was actually inspired by a remix of Kingdom Hearts' Dearly Beloved by FRNKNSTYN... Don't ask how it happened... it just did.

Anyway, see you all next chapter. (-~.^-)


	15. Chapter 15

And so Alisa enters the battle.

Russia's Prodigy

"Ah, I'm working with you two ladies today." Lindow greeted them as Alisa and Aimee waited for him at the City of Mercy's Starting Point. Alisa purposely kept as much distance as possible from Duke who only looked with a tilted head at her in curiosity. "I'll try to not get it your way so don't mind me."

"You're no trouble." Aimee assured to him, playing along with his antics.

"If you ask me, Old Types should stick with what Old Types are capable of doing."

"Uh..." Aimee didn't know how to react to Alisa's statement. Aimee didn't know if she should be offended or not, cause technically she was the oldest Type among them.

But Lindow just laugh it off, breaking through the awkward air around the group. "Well, I'll try to live up to your expectations."

Lindow moved close to Alisa to pat her shoulder in good gesture, but she screamed at his touch. And went as far as smacking his hand away as she jumped back. The others couldn't even react from pure shock of her drastic reaction.

"Woe," Lindow broke silence, slightly hurt by her rebuffed. "I can see you really can't stand me."

"N-no, I'm sorry," she assured to him while gripping her head. "It's nothing, I'm fine."

"Heh ha." Lindow nervously laughed it off. "Hmm... let's see... listen up Alisa. When things get chaotic look up at the sky, see if you can find a cloud that looks like an animal. Until then stay here, that's an order. Afterwards when you're done, join us over there, got it?"

"B-but why should I do such a thing?"

"Just look for a cloud." Lindow tiredly ordered to Alisa before turning back Aimee. "Alright, we're going on ahead."

As they jumped from the Starting Point, Alisa continued to look to the sky for a cloud. The others walked further down the alleyway before finally talking among themselves.

"There's something about that kid. She's carrying a lot of baggage." Lindow pointed out to Aimee.

"I told you... she's broken..."

"Still, in this day in age, who doesn't have some tragedy in their lives?"

"Yes, that's true..." Aimee somberly agreed, eyes clouding up as she began to sink into her memories.

"Hey," Lindow said, bringing Aimee back to reality. "Since you're a lot like her... try to look after her, alright?"

"... I think you've got me confused with someone else." Aimee stated with a quirked eyebrow. "We have nothing in common except for our continent of origins. You'd have better luck asking Nonna for that."

"What I mean is you're really good with reaching people. I mean, you got Soma to open up more and he was as social as a brick."

"That could be merely a coincident."

"That's not true and you know it." Lindow retorted back, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Come on, Aimee, that kid really needs someone like you right now. It would mean a lot if you'd give her a shot."

"(Sigh) Oh all right... I guess I can't leave her the way she is, I have to do something."

"That's the spirit." Lindow cheered with a smile, patting her shoulder a couple of times before moving back. "I knew I could count on you."

"Heh, you're already counting on me for one favor why not another?" She rhetorically pointed out before Alisa had ran her way toward them.

"Welcome back," Lindow greeted to her with a grin. "What animal did you fine?"

She blushed and turned her head away from their staring eyes. "I found a... I found a puppy."

Duke perked his ears up at that answer while Lindow simply laughed.

"Well that's good, means you think highly of friendship and loyalty." Aimee explained, although the meaning mostly applied to dreams. But imagining images in the clouds should still count.

"I think we're going to get along just fine." Lindowed agreed as his laughs finally came to a stop.

"..." Alisa didn't know how to react to this, but something about it somehow brought a small smile to her face as well. But as she made it to them the first Chi-You jumped down to them from the Aragami opening in the Alleyway.

Aimee punched low this time along with Lindow and Duke since Alisa was firing head shots. It would be for the best if she stayed out of her line of fire, if she had learned anything from fighting alongside Nonna. With the four of them working together the Chi-You went down in no time. Alisa felt awkward extracting the core alongside Duke, but as she look at him and her God Arc she saw that they weren't so different... not so different at all.

Now that the Chi-You was done, they would have to look for the last one. They ran all the way to the Aragami entrance front of the church and still couldn't find the Chi-You.

"Let's split up and look for the enemy."

"Got it." "Yes sir." Aimee and Alisa agreed with Lindow's orders.

Lindow had turned around and went back to the left while Aimee and Alisa kept going to the right. Aimee had Duke go with Lindow so he wouldn't be alone. As the girls turned the corner of the church, Alisa branched off to head over to look in the building with the broken clock. However, Aimee had spotted the Chi-You going behind the corner of the church on the other side. She didn't want to shout for the others and give away the edge of surprise to the Chi-You. So using one of the flares given to her by Fenrir, she shot one of them in the air from behind the platform, signalling for the others to converge with her. Once that was done she ran behind the Chi-You and got in a good sucker punch.

Alisa soon came in from behind her and started firing while Lindow and Duke came in from the other side of the back of the church. Faster than the last one, the Chi-You finally went down.

"Well those guys bit the dust..." Aimee said, giving the Chi-You a light tap with her foot.

"Literally." Lindow agreed with a chuckle.

"Let's not dally here." Alisa huffed, heading into the church's alleyway toward the Starting Point. "Let's return to the Den."

"I agree, I am getting a little hungry." Aimee complied to Alisa's request as her stomach seconded with a loud growl.

"Whoa, nice one, Aimee." Lindow praise.

"Ugh, that is vile." Alisa huffed out only earning a playful smirk from Aimee.

"It's called natural."

*** Later at the Den ***

"You've been a busy bee today." Soma commented to Aimee as he finally caught her that day at the Veteran's Floor Snake Machines. It couldn't be helped, Aimee liked the options the machines had better than the ones on the Rookie's Floor.

"Aw, don't be lonely, Soma." She teased at him, lightly pinching his cheek. "I just had to do a couple of missions with Lindow and Alisa."

"Tst, save it." Soma growled at her, lacking his usual bite behind it as he smacked her hand away from his face. "I'm surprised you can even stand working with the brat."

"Oh, she's alright. Alisa's not so bad once you get to know her." Then she started to tease him more as she leaned in closer to his face with a grin. "Much like someone else I know."

"Please don't compare me to her." Soma groaned out with rolling eyes.

"You're right." She teased on, poking a finger at his chest. "Comparing her to you would be an insult to ta-tas everywhere."

"Oh ha ha!" He growled poking her back, making her clinch in and protectively her chests.

"Hey, you can't poke mine, that's a no-no!"

"What? You poked mine!"

"Yeah, well you don't have anything to poke at, I do!"

"Pfft, double standards devil."

"Deviant wild one." She huffed back.

"You're one to talk."

"..." They stared at each other for a couple of seconds before bursting out laughing. Well laughing on Aimee's part, Soma just did his closes to it by giving her a big smirk in amusement. Finally Aimee eased up enough to talk to him, catching her breath with her big smile as she wiped away a stray laugh tear. "You're right about that one."

"Hm," Soma grunted out, smirking as he basked in the warmth of her laugh. He could never believe how much this strange exotic excuse of a woman had barreled her way into his life. She was turning him soft and he knew it, but he couldn't find it in himself to care. But... something inside him was starting to bug him about how fondly he was growing of her. She had once confused him for someone else... someone she cared extremely about. Although it pained him to think about it, he had to know...

What ever happened... to Silas?


	16. Chapter 16

Life can sometimes be unfair... to the point it's cruel.

Making a Tragedy

_The air was tense, the caravan has been restless for days. Soma was now seventeen, and was scouting the forest around the camp site with Aimee. She had been restless and on edge ever since her father decided to stop the caravan at this camping spot in the land of France._

_"I don't like this place. We should've kept moving." Aimee honestly confessed._

_"The caravan is tired, Aimee. They need to rest. This is the best area with an opening and a forest surrounding it to block off the town near us."_

_"No, no, we should never have stopped. You've felt it too, haven't you?"_

_"?!"_

_"A foulness has come over the land, something moves in the shadows. It's been around for nearly two years, but it grows stronger with each passing day. It's been following us..."_

_"You're letting your imagination get the best of you, Aimee."_

_"Am I? Some of our flock has gone missing. The ones that we could find were nothing more than blood splatters, our beast are terrified. And the animals from the local town have gone missing as well. They're starting to grow tense and are turning the blame on us."_

_"It's probably just one of the locals pulling a sick prank, the animosity towards us will pass soon."_

_"Yeah but before or after things take a turn for the worse. Even if it's only my imagination, the town's people have started to grow afraid. And you know how dangerous fear drives people to go."_

_"Aimee, I know the stress of running the caravan in the future has started to grow. Your dad has been giving you more responsibilities and you've been doing great. But you're fresh blood has been making you worry too much like a first time mother."_

_"Silas... they started throwing things at us."_

_"?!"_

_"It's never gone that far before. Yes the hateful stares were never lacking... and the cruel words were charitable. But... that was it. Only verbal insults, nothing ever physical. The fact they've taken it this far worries me... What if they're driven by fear to go further than this?"_

_"Aimee..."_

_BANG_

_"?!" They both turned in fear at the sound of a gunshot that came from their caravan camp. The screams that soon followed had their blood running cold._

_"The caravan is in trouble!" Aimee cried out in concern._

_"Let's go!"_

_The two ran back to their caravan to see nothing but pure chaos. Tents were set on fire, their people ran in terror. Grabbing what they could as they ran for their lives to their caravan wagons. Their caravan was under attack... in broad daylight._

_"What's going on?!"_

_"It's the villagers, Aimee!" One of the Romani carvaners explain in fear. "They came in on us out of nowhere and started attacking us!"_

_"Get your family to your wagon and get out of here with the others!" Aimee ordered, immediately taking charge of the situation._

_"But the tents-"_

_"They can be replaced, lives can't. Now run!" Their people ran for their wagons, carrying what ever they could as they ran._

_Soma could barely take the horror of the bodies he had passed as he followed Aimee to help the others. Many of the bodies he passed were people he had learned to know through many dreams like this. In the back of his mind he prayed he wouldn't bump into his parents' bodies. Most of their bodies had bullet holes while others looked like they had been slashed with a blade. All Soma could think about was... what kind of monster would do such a thing? They showed mercy to no one, not even the women and children._

_"We can help the dead later, Silas." Aimee instructed to Soma, bringing him back to the situation at hand. "Let's focus on the living right now."_

_"Right..."_

_"Aimee!"_

_"Dad!" She called back to him as they ran up to his group. Their caravan's able men were helping with the evacuation of their people, but it was hard with the chaos around them and the fears for their family's safety. "How many more family's do we need to help evacuate?"_

_"Only a few, but it's further toward the trouble and we need to stop the fires."_

_"Are my-"_

_"Don't worry, Silas, your parents got out okay." Soma let a sigh out of relief at the news. "But we need to get the rest of our caravans out of here."_

_"I'll take care of it." Aimee volunteered. "You should go and lead the caravans out of here."_

_"Aimee, no. These people are dangerous." Her father ordered sternly, he had somewhat felt guilty for stopping the caravan here when his daughter warned him not to. He did not want her to get hurt trying to clean up his mess... she was all he had left._

_"We don't have much time, Dad. You're the Chief, the caravan needs you to lead them so the tribe isn't lost. I can handle this, let me do what you've trained me to do."_

_"... Alright. But move quickly." Her father finally gave in, she gave him a quick hug to ease his concern._

_"I'll catch up to the caravan when I'm done, get the horse ready." Aimee ran toward the chaos, while I followed her. "And where do you think you're going?"_

_"Like hell if I'm letting you go out there alone. I'm coming with you."_

_"Silas, no! It's too dangerous."_

_"And what makes it not dangerous for you too, damn it!" Soma growled out, slightly pissed that she kept calling him by Silas's name. "I'm not leaving you to face it alone!"_

_"Fine! Just don't coming crying to me to kiss your boo-boos once this is all over!"_

_"Hn, you'd still kiss them anyway even if you say that." Soma smirked at her._

_"Alright, smart alack, less talking more action." Aimee instructed, giving him a light push. "You go that way to help the old lady into her caravan while I help the last family get out of here."_

_"Fine, but hurry."_

_"Hmph, I should be saying that to you. You're the one that has to help an old lady that can barely move faster than a turtle."_

_"Tst, show off."_

_"Get going already."_

_"Alright." Soma complied, reluctantly splitting up with Aimee._

_Soma had finally made it to the old ladies camp. She was the oldest in their Romani tribe and wise true to her age, many would come to her for guidance. Three generations of Chiefs she had advised with her wisdom in her life. But she somewhat isolated herself from the rest of the camp, she wanted the peace and quiet away from people. But it was for the better for the caravan, although many looked to her for advice most had found her eery. She had a knack for foretelling things, she had seen so many omens many thought her to be psych. But Soma had no time for silly rumors._

_"Ma'am we have to leave now." Soma said to her, wrapping an arm around hers as he slowly guided her to her caravan wagon. "The Caravans are on the move."_

_"I see, I see." She responded back to him with a nod. Their progress felt too slow for Soma, he kept looking back toward the direction Aimee was in, hoping that she was alright. "You're going to lose her."_

_"?!" Did Soma hear what he thought he heard. "Ma'am?"_

_"You're going to lose her today, Salis. You won't see her again until another life time." She said to him as she struggle to get up onto her wagon. "But if you hurry, you can say goodbye to her."_

_"Ma'am?" Her words had an eery feel of truth to them and made a chill run through his body. A premonition of something ominous to come stilled his blood._

_"I'll be fine, you best get going." The old woman said as she finally got into the driving seat of her wagon and got the old mule to get going. "Go and face your destiny."_

_"Tst, just hurry up and catch up with the others. The Chief will be waiting for you there."_

_"Thank you for humoring an old lady for this long." She said as she got her wagon to turn around and head toward the others. Going that extra mile, she got Soma's heart to stop in shock as she waved back to him with these few words. "Bye, Soma..."_

_"!" What the hell... How did she..._

_But that wasn't important now, he needed to get to Aimee to see if she needed help. The old lady had taken more time than he had hoped for, he had to get to Aimee soon. Maybe his mind was on hyper-drive because of the adrenaline, but he feared for the worst. Those attackers might have still been in the area, and it would be just Aimee's luck to bump into them._

_And she did..._

_The family she had gone to save were long gone, she mostly held the attackers off for them to escape. Her father had taught her well, but there was only so much she could do against multiple opponents that were armed. They had taken her down, cuts and bruises in all, as some sported a black eye or a bloodied jaw or a couple of broken ribs. One thing was for sure, their pride has been damaged and they were pissed. Here they were, grown men that got beaten by a girl. They didn't let that go so lightly, they stomped on her while she was down on the ground._

_These men were from the town next to them. They must have been lashing out on them for their missing flocks... Aimee was right. But was a couple of missing animals worth lashing out on them like this? Did they really see his people's lives so insignificant that they would kill them over this? What was disgusting about this was the fact that these weren't a bunch of bastard kids, these were grown men. Men that were more than old enough to have more common sense than this. But they didn't have it... they didn't even have any mercy._

_"Little conniving witch! This'll teach you to make a fool of us!" One of them spat out as they continued to stomp on her._

_"I only defended my people, you're the ones that made a fool of yourself without any help." That retorted earned one of their feet to angrily dig into her back._

_"Shut up, Filth!" One of them growled down at her. "You Gypsies have been a parasite on our society for far too long."_

_"How?! We only pass through your towns!"_

_"Don't lie to us, Trash! We know you've been stealing our crops!"_

_"Crops?! You're killing my people for crops?!" The notion angered Soma as much as it did Aimee._

_"Not just our crops, our livestock as well!"_

_"Have you lost your minds?! No human life is worth that, and besides we didn't touch your precious crops!"_

_"You know you got a lot of lip little girl. And a nice body too, if you weren't such a disease infested parasite I wouldn't mind enjoying a little ride with you." One of the guys perversely chuckled, the others sickeningly laughed along with him._

_"You savages! You're just as bad as you say we are!"_

_"Enough of your mouth, witch!"_

_"AHH!" Aimee cried out as one of them impaled her back with a saber, they sickly laughed at her pain._

_"We gotta make sure you don't use one of your spells to curse us!" They twistedly laugh down at her as she coughed out her own blood, Soma couldn't take anymore. Her cries of pain and her whimpers as her blood dripped to the dirt filled him with a rage like no other._

_"Get your hands off of her!" Soma growled as he charged at them._

_He tackled the guy holding the saber to ground, pulling out the saber as well. He continued relentlessly punching the guy til he was knocked out cold and sported a broken nose. He elbow the guy coming at him while he was busy with his first guy in the crotch, upper cutting him in the jaw. Soma fought hard and was winning even when they pulled out knives and blades at him. He fought for more than half his life he was use to this. But he didn't stand a chance when one of the guys pulled out a gun... it wasn't even fair..._

_Soma took a bullet to the chest, he fell to his knees. Eyes open in shock as his heartbeat over powers the world around him. Soma couldn't believe it, how could he lose? This pain felt... so real._

_"Silas!" Aimee cried out to him with bloodied lips. She crawled over to him as he fell to his side, Soma could only watch as she pitifully made her way over to him. He couldn't cry out nor talk to her as his blood drowned his lungs. He couldn't even warn her as one of the guys placed a hard foot on her back to stop her in her motions._

_"Aw look, the parasites care about each other, how cute." The man mocked, but Aimee didn't cry out as his foot stabbed into her wound. She felt too much rage to even contemplate pain._

_"You wretched white devils. You hate my words? You fear my curse?"_

_"?!" They uncontrollably flinched in shock at the venom in her words, the hate in her eyes were suffocating._

_"Well then let me oblige you. Revel in torment, in my eternal..." Her fingers went to the tip of her lips to dip them in her blood then she drew a circle on the dirt ground with her bloodied fingers in front of them. Then she dragged three of her centered blood drenched fingers to cut through the circle and stopped two inches from cutting into the other bottom side. "Curse..."_

_"!"_

_They feared her actions for reasons unknown and because of ignorance. She knew her father warned about the power of words, but she didn't care, she wanted them to suffer. And it looks like she got her wish..._

_ROAR!_

_"What the hell is that thing?!" One of the guys shouted in horror. Soma couldn't believe what he was seeing. Was that... an Aragami?_

_"Who cares! Just shot it!" They fired at the Ogretail, but their bullets had no effect on it, it only drew the attention of other Ogretails._

_"Shit! There's more of them!"_

_"AH!" They screamed out as the Ogretails charged at them to eat them alive._

_But Aimee didn't care. She didn't even care if her words were the cause of all this or not. All that mattered was crawling her way to Soma. The Ogretails seemed to be leaving them alone since they thought the two of them were dead, they must have wanted live fresh prey. They were most likely going to die that day, whether from bleeding out or being eaten alive. And if they were, Aimee was determined that they would die together than apart like crossed lovers. This was going to be a tragic end but she'd be damn if it would be a cruel one._

_"Silas..." She called out to him with a saddened voice, crying as she finally made it over to him. Cupping his cheek as she laid beside him on her side as well. "Silas..."_

_"..." Soma couldn't answer, his mouth was full of blood that choked him as he breathed. His vision was starting to un-focus, the world was getting... so cold. Aimee cried as her hand gently rubbed and caressed his cheek in her hand. Soothing to him as they were slowly passing away, she sang to him._

_"Sleep soundly safe in this heart_

_You no longer have to face the _

_evil in the dark_

_Just rest your mind_

_And leave your pain behind_

_Remember softly_

_of a time_

_when the world was so bright."_

_Her tears began to pour out more freely as the tears started to escape from Soma. He felt so weak and helpless. Here he had been for most of his life hating his damn monstrous Aragami enhanced power, and now he couldn't do a damn thing to help them as he sickly got his wish of being normal. It was like a cruel joke the world was pulling on him for always cursing it for his twisted fate._

_"You fought so bravely_

_My Dear_

_And so_

_you can rest for now_

_There's nothing left to fear_

_Flying onward_

_You dreamed of unreachable things_

_But now your dreams carry you_

_to a place where these things_

_come true_

_I'll hold your hand while you sleep_

_So don't_

_be afraid I won't let _

_shadows touch your dreams_

_Maybe in time_

_we'll leave this all behind_

_We'll look up skyward_

_And stars_

_they will shine in your eyes."_

_Using her other hand she held his hand, which he tightened his grip onto for comfort. They leaned forward together, so that their foreheads gently touched._

_"Promise you'll wake up in time_

_When you awaken I will_

_be there by your side_

_Maybe in another life_

_we'll fix the broken mistakes_

_I'll find you when that time comes_

_I will save you _

_whatever it takes."_

_Soma was starting to fade when he heard the dying cry of Ogretails and sword blades as new footprints came into play._

_"Did you get all of them?" A woman's voice asked._

_"Yeah, but not before they made a meal of some of the people." A man with a smooth deep voice answered._

_"Darn it, looks like we didn't make it in time. They look like locals."_

_"What were they doing so far out here anyway?"_

_"I don't know, Seth. Check for survivors."_

_"Hm," the male grunted in compliance as Soma could hear him moving around. Soma recognized the name instantly. Seth? The guy Aimee hated so much? Suddenly Soma heard the footsteps coming closer to them, he saw the man's boots first before Seth knelled down to their level. He looked him in his jade eyes as Seth searched them over. His platinum hair barely made it passed his shoulders, but it was still noticeable as a trademark of the Guardians. He was wearing an outfit that closely resembled the Sweeper Noir. His stone face changed to somber understanding and pity as he looked at them. "Hey, Rose. I think I found some survivors... and the reasons why those townsmen were out here."_

_"Really?!" The woman gasped out in hope. Running up to Seth as she knelled down by the two. Her long straight onyx hair touched down to the middle of her back. She looked to be wearing what looked like an Assault Top and a mix of Casual Green Bottom with a Chiron Army Pants' skirt. Her eyes were crimson, but warm as she examined them. __"They've suffered through internal bleeding, but not by the Aragami. Who could've done this to them?!"_

_"The townsmen..."_

_"?!"_

_"It has always disgusted me how humans come to hate things they do not understand. I will never fathom how they'll have something against people who are different."_

_"Yes... it is one of mankind's darkest sides." Rose agreed, before finally concluding the conditions of Soma and Aimee. "The girl can be saved if we can get her to Dr. Nowak right away. She has the will of a fighter, we could use someone like her on our team. But the boy... he's lost too much blood. He would die instantly from shock if we even try to remove the bullet."_

_"Well..." Seth said, standing up again while grabbing Aimee to put on his shoulder. "I guess it's a lucky day for one of you today."_

_"!" But Aimee wouldn't let go of Soma's hand. Seth had to tap in to his enhanced strength a little to break Aimee's hold away from Soma. Rose stared in shock and sadness as the two Romani's eyes never looked away from each other._

_"Come along, Child." Seth said as he carried Aimee away. "You've been given a second chance in life."_

_"But what about the bodies, Seth?" Rose asked as she followed beside him._

_"Clean up should be taking care of that. Let's head back to base now."_

_"..." Soma tried to call out to her, but his body was becoming numb to him. The world was getting dark._

_"Silas..." She cried out to him, tears flowing uncontrollably as her hands weakly reached back for him. "Silas...!"_

_"..." And that was the last thing he ever saw... the very last thing._

_Darkness surrounded him in a cold embrace. Suddenly Soma shot upward like a rocket in the dark. He flew upward for the longest time, then a light began to break through the dark. It was a tiny thing, but it began to grow as he was being shot up toward it. It began to color and focus, it looked like an upward view of a ceiling. The image revealed to be something unexpected... It was his room..._

"!" Soma shot up wide awake, instantly clinching his chest for a wound that wasn't there. He choked on air as he tried to cough out non-existing blood. His heart was in a panic, it had felt so real. The shock, the pain, the fear, everything...

Without even thinking, he jumped out of his bed and bolted out of his room. He didn't care if it was early in the morning, he made his way to Aimee's room on the Rookie's Floor. Her door was locked, but he had easily broken through the lock as if it wasn't even there. He stopped at the door frame, keeping his head down which hid his face from her.

"!" She looked to him in shock at his sudden intrusion. Duke remained asleep like a rock through it all. She'd worn nothing but a light gown as pajamas as she was going to make some morning tea. But she stopped in mid action at Soma's appearance, laughing it off as karma. "Well I guess I deserved that one."

"..."

"?" He said nothing to her, making her tilt her head to him in curiosity and anticipation. But her eyes widen in shock as he finally looked up to her with a face coated with fear and eyes of pure sadness. "!"

She gasped out loud in pure shock as Soma had ran over to her, falling to his knees as he hugged her middle. She could feel the fabric beginning to soak around her stomach area where his face was buried. He was crying...

"What ever is the matter?" She began to gently pat and rub his back while her other hand rubbed the top of his exposed head, fingers gently combing through his platinum locks. She leaned down a little in a best attempt to hug him back as his shoulders shook while he quietly cried. "Soma, not you, my big tough guy. What could possibly be so bad?"

*** Author's Notes ***

Aside from the last 3 of the 5 lines, the song Aimee sings is Ven's Theme, done by Lizz R.


	17. Chapter 17

This is when Aimee's flash backs start.

As Time Goes By

_"She's a little strange for a European. Do you think she's going to place up to the top 5, Nonna?"_

_"I don't know..."_

_"Have you ever met anyone like her in Russia?"_

_"I have not... Gypsies tend to keep to themselves, whether by choice or not."_

_"From what I heard, Gypsies are a roaming people. They're free wanderers, that's why most of Europe doesn't like them I think."_

_"E-excuse me." Aimee said weakly._

_"!" Both them slightly gasp, one of them approached her. Blocking the blinding light with the silhouette of their head._

_"Oh you're awake! How're you feeling?" The voice from before was that of a young boy. If it wasn't for his curly onyx short locks Aimee would have mistaken him of African origins. But he had a Portuguese ascent, he must've been from Brazil. He wore what resembled a Cobalt Coat and a Formal Blue Bottom with double blades each one strapped onto one of his legs.  
><em>

_"Stiff..."_

_"I'm not too surprised, you did have a hole in your stomach."_

_"?!" _

_"Whoa, whoa! Don't move so fast, you might open your wounds again."_

_"W-wha?" She looked down at her stomach where the wound from the back pierced through to see that it had been treated and wrapped up. But how... she should be dead._

_"It's amazing how quick the Oracle Cells work, isn't it? You're lucky you got to the Doctor when you did, any later and you would be dead._

_"Oracle... what?"_

_"Oh right, you have no idea what's going on."_

_"I'll go get the others." Nonna said before walking out of the room._

_"?"_

_"Don't mind her, she just doesn't talk much."_

_"..." _

_The two people from before came into the room along with a man in his mid 30s. His brunette hair accompanied a clean bushy beard and mustache along with a lab coat._

_"Good to see you awake. Nice to meet you young lady, my name's Dr. Nowak, what's yours?"_

_"Aimee... where am I?"_

_"I cannot tell you that right now, but know that right now you're in a safe place."_

_"Safe...?" Then Aimee shot back to life as she remembered what happen last time she was awake. "Silas?! Oh God, is he alright?!"_

_"If you're talking abut the boy you were with, he's dead." Seth answered without sympathy. Better to pull the bandage off quick than to slowly trying to ease it off._

_"!" The tears started flowing from her shocked eyes on their own accord. "You mean... he's gone..."_

_"You should know that already, you watched him die."_

_"..." The tears started to pick up their pace as her vision began to blur. She was so heartbroken she didn't even care when the woman called Rose came to sit beside her and pulled her into a comforting embrace._

_"Seth! God, sometimes you can be so insensitive!" Rose berated to him with a hiss, making him raise an eyebrow at her. She began to gently rub Aimee's back as her voice softened for Aimee. "I'm so sorry, Sweetie. We couldn't save him. We had to bury him along with the other Gypsies we found... and what was left of those Frenchmen."_

_"My love... my people, they're all...gone..." Aimee whimpered out._

_"Shh, shh, it's alright. Our scouts said they had spotted a caravan leaving the area. Your people had made it out of the fray alright, and for the ones that didn't... They'll find peace on the other side... can't really say the same for those men."_

_"Tst, those bastards deserve whatever hell that's coming for them." Seth growled out in disgust._

_"There's no need for grudges, Seth. They only weigh you down and give rise to more pain and suffering."_

_"Hmph," Seth grunted at her words but said nothing to disagree with her._

_"Something tells me that I won't be returning to my people after this..."_

_"I'm afraid not my dear." Dr. Nowak confirmed to her, subconsciously pleased that she was able to pick the information out so quickly. "We had do a little bit of complex experiments on you to save your life from deaths door."_

_"How complex are we talking about...?"_

_"Let's say you're no longer completely human anymore."_

_"?!"_

_"Welcome to the Guardians, Aimee." Seth greeted to her. "You are now the second representative for Europe in our organization."_

_"And what exactly do you all 'do' in your organization?"_

_"We're a secret organization created to contain and eliminate a foreign threat that has invaded and started attacking our planet." Rose explained._

_"A foreign threat?"_

_"We call them Aragami. They came to our planet from the meteors that bombarded our planet around two years ago."_

_"?!"_

_"Originally they started as nothing more than cells, but they evolved with extreme speed and took on more massive forms. They seem to have an insatiable hunger as they devour without discrimination, except when dealing with their own. Our job is to take care of them outside the public's knowledge to stop any world wide panic."_

_"You said you experimented on me, does that mean that you can't defeat them with normal means?"_

_"Correct, they exceed the strength of humans and are immune to our modern weapons. So we had to change our selected few soldiers to be more like them." Dr. Nowak explained. "It's the only way we can stop their cells from regenerating and kill them."_

_"And so I'm like that as well?"_

_"It was the only way we could save you." Rose comforted to her. "I know this life wasn't your choice. But I promise that we'll be like the family you lost. We can never replace what you lost or compare to it, but we will ease your pain as best as we can."_

_"So what do you say?" Seth asked her. "Will you join our cause, or will you wallow away like a wallflower and do nothing with your second chance?"_

_"... What do I have to do... to be strong like you?" Aimee subtly answered with growing determination. Never again... never again will she be so weak that she won't be able to protect the ones she loves ever again!_

_"Hn, then brace yourself." Seth smirked. "Because your training begins tomorrow."_

_*** Days of training later ***_

_"Get up."_

_"Ugh, Seth..."_

_"The Aragami won't wait for you to get back on your feet so get up."_

_"You know this whole fight isn't fair. I mean, you've got that enormous sword while I only got these fighting gloves."_

_"The Devil Walkers will have fangs and Nightmare Trimmers will have piercing needles, there is no such thing as a fair fight out there."_

_"Ugh..." Aimee struggled to get back on her feet, she was tired and they had been going at it for hours._

_"Don't blame me because of your choice of weapon." Seth lectured down to her. "You've got skill. Whoever taught you trained you well. But you lack the warrior's will."_

_"?!"_

_"When you fight you don't fight like your life depends on it, you fight like this is a game. You hold back and your enemy will take advantage of it. Show mercy and you will die. Now get up and fight!"_

_"..." Finally she got back on her feet again. Putting more energy to it than before, she charged at Seth with an air that meant business. "Ahhhh Haaaaa!"_

_"Hmph, that's better."_

_*** A few days later ***_

_"Don't you think you're being a little too rough with her, Seth?"_

_"She's the only one among us that will have to rely on hand-to-hand combat, Charlie. She will be at a disadvantage distance wise and weapon wise out there, so she'll have to be trained harder than the others."_

_"Still, you guys have been training all day. Maybe you should call it a day."_

_"No, she can do with a little more combat training, don't you agree Aimee?"_

_"Ugh..."_

_"See, the poor thing can't even get up. It's time to stop."_

_"No, you deal with your training methods and I'll handle mine. She's under my ward, so my rules."_

_"Seth."_

_"?" He turned toward Rose as she called to him._

_"It's time to call it a quits. No more training today."_

_"Alright."_

_"What?!" Charlie shouted in flabbergast at how easily he conceded to her demands._

_*** Days later after more training ***_

_"I think it's time for you to choose your PAR." Dr. Nowak said to Aimee as he lead her toward one of the big labs on the first floor. They were monitored by her peers and other scientist from the viewing windows above._

_"My what now?"_

_"PARs, your Partner Animal Right-hands."_

_"?"_

_"Your peers came up with the name, not me. But I think in time you'll grow to understand the name and will start to like it. Any way, it's your PAR's job to devour the Aragami's cores so that they don't reanimate again. They're created by specific animal bio DNA and cultivated Oracle Cells. So in other words, they're made-man Aragami."_

_"?!" She looked to the doctor as if he lost his mind._

_"Oh not to worry, Aimee, they're created with a predatory selection not to attack humans. And they are extremely loyal to the one that fuses their Oracle Cells with them. Your PAR will be naturally good to you, and loyal and kind."_

_"Ah... well that's good."_

_"All you have to do, is choose them." Dr. Nowak stopped her mid way in the lab, pointing her toward a lab table with four concentrated Oracle Cells that floated in the air like a sphere. "One of these four will be your partner, just follow your instincts and it'll lead you to the right choice."_

_"How will I know what I'll be getting?"_

_"You won't know, until you choose."_

_"Right..."_

_"Good luck."_

_"Thanks." Aimee made her way toward the table alone. Looking through the table's options, she examine each characteristics of the spheres. The first one was a deep brown mixed with red, she felt power in it. But the next one was white mixed with yellow, this once felt silent and stealthy. Then the next one was a deep jet with a hint of violet, this one felt weaker than the others but it gave off a sense of great speed. But it was the last... the last one that truly called out to her. It's various blue spoke of a calmness to her and a balanced mixture. It can be strong and it can be fast, it was perfect to her. "I'll take this one."_

_"!" Her eyes widened in shock, some of the sphere broke off into tendrils and sunk into her wrist as her hand touched it. It felt like it was burning through her skin as it was tearing something out of her. She didn't cry out as she silently sucked in her scream until the task was done. Once the whole process was close to finished, the room was engulfed in a blinding light as the sphere expanded._

_Once the light bomb was done the dimming light revealed Duke for the first time. He slept quietly at his first breaths of life._

_"A dog?"_

_"You chose the dog DNA..."_

_"?" Aimee turned back to the doctor as the other sphere were taken out by the standby doctors, careful to make no contact with them or Duke._

_"If you had chosen the first one, you would have gotten something similar to a bear. If you had chose the second one, you would have gotten a ram. And the third would have given you a hawk."_

_"And you say that I subconsciously chose the one best suited for me. How can you be so sure?"_

_"We tested it on one of your earlier peers, Kamali."_

_"?"_

_"Sorry, you haven't met her yet. She's the representative of Africa, she's been out on missions on another continent for a while now. She'll be back to meet you soon." Dr. Nowak explained. "Anyway, we wanted to test if we could make humanoid PARs and see if you Guardians could sense the difference between the PARs selection. We had Kamali give us a DNA sample of someone close to her and we didn't tell her which PAR we put it in. She picked it out without any hesitation. You Guardians can natural select a PAR that perfectly fits your needs."_

_"Fits my... needs..." Aimee said aloud to herself as she looked at her strange new PAR. It looked so peacefully as it slept on the table, curled up in itself. For something that's suppose to be an artificial Aragami, it was kinda... cute._

_"He looks pretty tough. You got a name for him?"_

_"... Duke... I'll call him Duke."_

_"You two better get going before he wakes up. Take him to your room quick before he wakes up."_

_"?"_

_"You have to be the first person he sees when he wakes up, it'll seal the bond."__  
><em>

_"Kay." Aimee nodded as she gently picked up Duke to take back to her room._

_*** Days later ***_

_Duke had woken up a couple of hours later after his birth. But their first meeting wasn't as nice as Aimee expected. He continued to growl at her as he huddled into the corner of the room as far away as he could get from her. Didn't help much either that he would try to bite at her when she would get too close. Seth said that this was a good thing, it means that Duke was a fighter; and that once she had broken through Duke's resistance he would be extremely loyal that they would be an unbreakable team._

_But... this was taking a long time. Duke wasn't budging from his spot, and no amount of Aragami salvage parts would bribe him from his corner. Having enough, Aimee decided to slowly approach her PAR with a peace offering. Flapping a Ogretail piece in her hand as she moved in close to Duke._

_"Hey, come on boy." Duke did nothing but answer her with a growl. "It's alright, come on out."_

_As she came in a foot away from hand length Duke was on his feet and in a feral aggressive stance. His sharp teeth were showing, his antenna and tail end glowed brighter as he growled louder._

_"There's nothing to fear." She said as she reached her free hand out to him, going to rub the bottom of his jaw to initiate a trust process. But he denied her by biting her hand. "!"_

_He growled into her hand, not letting go of his grip. But she did nothing, not even crying out as his teeth sank into her. She answered his aggression not with fear or anger, but a gentle calmness._

_"See, there's nothing to fear. Right?" She smiled down at Duke sucking the aggression out of him. Her calm aura was rubbing off on him, letting go of her hand he gently began to lick her wound as an apology. She giggled at his antics, using her wounded hand to rub his jaw as a 'no hard feelings.' Working her way up his trust level, she move to scratching the back of his ears. Once she saw that he liked it by his purr, she moved to petting the top of his head. She had won him over... he even moved closer to her to rub his body against her as he wagged his tail and curled his antenna around her. "Aw, you were just scared that's all."_

_Duke began happily jumping in her arms and licking her cheek._

_"Haha, good! (Giggle) Good boy!"_

_*** Two days later after her first mission ***_

_"So, Aimee, how does it feel after going on your first extermination?" Seth asked her as his PAR, Jen, ate the Ogretail under his foot. Jen looked to be an albino mountain lion with burning fire that would come where the black tip of her tail should be, and also had a fire mane of scarlet flames. Seth was one of the few Guardians to have a female PAR. It appeared to be a given with the original Guardians, and sheer luck for Charlie._

_But Aimee knew her answer, there was only one word to describe what she was feeling right now._

_"Exhilarating..."_

_"Hmph, good." Seth smirked. "You are ready to go on missions without me. The others will be ecstatic to finally have you join them in the ranks."_

_*** Two months later ***_

_"We've got a new member today, Aimee." Dr. Nowak said to her, interrupting her training as he entering the training grounds._

_"That's great, Doctor!" Aimee cheered for him, seeing at how excited he got whenever it had to do with the Guardians or PARs. "So which continent are they representing?"_

_"Asia, straight from China." Dr. Nowak answered. "She's testing for her PAR right now, but as of right now she's the youngest Guardian ever."_

_"Asia? How do you think Azuma will take it? It seems like there's nothing going on but competitiveness between China and Japan nowadays."_

_"Oh have a little faith in Azuma. He's above business and technology between their countries, his duties won't be effected by the little extra. She's a little ball of spunk so she'll keep him on his toes."_

_"Well that's good. I was worried he'd always be as expressive as a toaster. But why are you here and not watching the test like I know you're itching to do?"_

_"See I kinda need a little favor from you..."_

_"?"_

_"Would you mind training her?"_

_"... Rose or Seth would be better for the job."_

_"Well she's young and Seth would be too rough on her, and Rose too soft."_

_"And the others...?"_

_"Same applies for Azuma and Nonna, she's still a kid and needs a more delicate approach in training. Jack wouldn't take her training serious enough and Kamali's PAR might be too much for her right now."_

_"Anzi's not so bad."_

_"You're the only girl other than Kamali that didn't scream when you first met him. I'm not so sure she will be the same. Charlie would be my second choice, but you're better at interacting with kids so you're the best choice."_

_"So kind of you." Aimee said sarcastically with a chuckle._

_"Please, Aimee, she could use someone like you right now."_

_"To be honest, I hardly see why someone so young would come into this business. Shouldn't she be with her family, growing up like a normal girl?"_

_"She doesn't family, she was abandoned as a baby because of her female birth. The poor girl was lucky to be born in this day and age in China, if she was born in earlier times than this she would've been killed. She worked hard to pass the test as a representative to get out of her orphanage and now she's in a whole new world here. She could use a friendly hand of guidance..."_

_"... When do I start?"_

_*** A month later ***_

_And so she has returned to the scene of the crime. Due to her excellent performance during missions, Dr. Nowak decided to grant her one request. So here she was... back at her abandoned camp... alone... The place had been deserted since that horrible day, it seems her father hadn't taken any of the caravans or even scouts back to this place. And... she felt that he never will... A darkness had fallen over this land... too much innocents' blood tainted the soil, not even the plants would grow around and consume this place. The place was most likely haunted at night as well, her father would most likely take the caravan around another path, her people will never walk this road again..._

_Her father... he must've felt horrible when she never came back. He probably thought she was dead, if the families that she helped saved told him what happened before they left. But she understood why he could never have come for her that day. He was the Chief, he had a duty and obligation to protect and secure the caravans. He couldn't risk countless lives of his people over the cost of one, even if... it was his own daughter. But my goodness... such a heartbreaking choice, one that no parent should have to make. He must have been crushed, thinking that his little girl was gone now. But she could never see him again, or the caravan. Coming to them as she was now would only break their hearts again, they didn't need more pain. Besides, her father had hid them well... the Caucasian people will never see any of their Gypsy tribe again, nor will they cross paths._

_Dear God... Silas's parents... They must have been devastated when he never returned that day. They would've never guessed or dared to think that that morning would be the last time they would see their son again. Another reason why the caravans most likely never returned... too many painful memories. She could practically relive that day as she walk through the remains. Tents with burn damage, families destroyed. All because of a hatred that was fed by a couple of missing animals. A bloody campaign driven by the men of the town beside them. Screams and blood were bathed into the ground. And over two dozen of her people shot or slashed down like animals in a butchery as if some kind of sick irony. What kind of demon, monster, no devil would possess someone to commit this atrocity? What kind of human would sell their soul over this?!_

_No...! No... She couldn't let her anger and hatred consume her. Not here, not now, the darkness in this place would take her rage and drive her into madness. The air was already heavy enough. Sucking in a deep breath of air, and changing her eyes and hair back to normal, she continued onward. The tents were still standing where they were since that day. Burn damage took away from their glory, and the sun and accumulating dust took away from their color. But true to Seth's and Rose's word, the cleanup crew had properly buried her people where they fell. Trying their best to bury family and loved ones together based on how close they were when they died to make up for the fact that they couldn't do anything to avoid making them unmarked graves. And miraculously enough, their camp had been left un-pillaged and untouched, by the cleanup grew or town. Either out of respect or fear it didn't matter, either way she was thankful for that small mercy._

_So she traveled on through the remains until she made it to her first stop... Silas's family's tent. It was in better shape than most of the other tents, the sun and dust had started bleaching out the colors. An eery darkness had consumed the tent, her feet did not want to move. With a heavy heart and sucked back in tears, she entered the tent._

_The place screamed of a family immediately getting up and running, the knocked over furniture was proof of that... and the caravan wagon skid marks outside. The family had barely taken anything with them but the livelihood tools they would need to survive. Silas's parents must have been hoping and praying that Silas was safe with Aimee in her caravan and would catch up with them soon. Such a devastating blow it must have been when neither of them returned that day..._

_No! She would not cry, she came here for a reason. Wiping away a stray tear, she lifted the fabric door to enter Silas's quarters. The place had a lack of flare, and subtle hints of disorganization and personality that only the people closes to Silas would notice. A sleeping hammock, a stack of books lying around, a chest of clothes that were unfolded and unorganized, leaving him to toss clothes around to find something to wear only to stuff the rest back in during his normal morning rituals. A vanity mirror rested close by the chest as if he tried to keep himself decent before going off to face another day. And by his hammock stood a makeshift nightstand that held up two picture frames; one with him and his parents and the other... with her and him together. Gently picking up the pictured to caress the image with her fingers to the glass, she held back a whimper as she put the photo back down. She would not take it with her, it wasn't hers to take. Besides... she wouldn't need it to remember him or any of them, she had a picture perfect photo memory. But there was something in his room that caught her eye..._

_It was his violin, resting on the tent's support pole... all alone... Waiting for a master that would never return, never to be played again. She couldn't bare the thought of it. Silas wouldn't want it rotting out here. Making her decision, she walked over to it, still in its case, and hung it around her back with its strap. It would never be played again, but at least it would be taken care of. That was the least she could do. Giving the room one last look over, she turned her back and walked away from the tent. She was going to go to her family tent to get her guitar, some change of clothes, and other personal things; but, that could wait until later. She had another stop she wanted to make before that..._

_It felt like a long walk toward the place where her- no, their- life was destroyed. She had made it to the opening where both of them had died and she had been reborn that day. Her curse mark still looked as fresh as the day she had made it, staring at her ominously as if accusing her with its very presence. But laying just below it to the left was a large patch of dirt that looked fresher than the rest... This was where Silas was supposedly buried._

_They buried him in the exact same spot where he died... out here... all alone. All evidence of him bleeding out was buried with him while her curse mark had been left untouched. The sight was unbearable. Aimee's vision began to blur as her eyes watered up, slowly falling to her knees as she began to lye down in the exact same spot that they had last been together. A hand reached out to gently caress the dirt were he once lied while the other embraced his violin onto her chest. Her tears flowed freely out as she gave into her hearts weakness._

_"Silas... I'm sorry, are you lonely? I didn't mean to make you wait this long." Her voice was even, even as her tears began to soak her face and the earth with its salt. "I promise, I'll see you soon. Maybe then... you'll play for me again..."_

_*** Two weeks later ***_

_Once again, the Guardians have arrived too late. Only this time, she wasn't on the receiving side... A pact of Devil Walkers had attacked a small secluded neighborhood in one of the American forests of Utah. The neighborhood was so small it would be considered more of a colva sack. These people were most likely a close knit community, none of them had ran when the others couldn't, even as the Aragami closed in on them._

_All of them were dead, all but a lone boy with a missing arm. Bleeding out at what appeared to be his front lawn._

_"Time sure seems to have a cruel way of repeating itself." Aimee said mostly to herself as she looked over the damage. "We were too late."_

_"..." The boy did his best to remain quiet. Gritting his teeth and sucking his breath in as he tried to hold in his pain and rage. Ignoring Duke as he sniffed him out._

_"You're bleeding out a lot." Aimee obviously pointed out as she look down at him._

_"Shut up! Just shut up..." He growled as he hissed out his pain. "I'll make those bastards pay. I'll kill them all!"_

_"How? You don't have an arm."_

_"I will do it! I swear on my dying breath... I will take as many of them with me on my way to hell." He almost sounded hysterical._

_"And what makes you think you are destined for hell?"_

_"Because everyone that was meant for heaven is already dead..."_

_"What makes you think you're not just late for the bus?"_

_"Why do you keep answering me with questions?!"_

_"Because it's the only thing that's distracting you from your pain."_

_"?!" He raised his eyebrows at the gesture but huffed her off. "Tst, doesn't matter anyway now. I'm going to die soaked in my own blood while those demons continue to roam."_

_"Oh those creatures are dead now. But what if I told you there is a way for you to live?"_

_"What?"_

_"What if I told you I have a way to save your life and give you the power to defeat those creatures?"_

_"Then I will use it to cut them all down and avenge my family's death." He hissed in rage._

_"Revenge will never bring them back..."_

_"Yes, but it will ease my rage."_

_"But it will never quench it."_

_"It's better than nothing! I shall see to it that they all die, even if I have only one arm!"_

_"Better make that two." She said, tossing his severed arm to him. He was lucky that she had found it in the belly of a Devil Walker, he would need to have it stitched back on before he'd be changed into a Guardian. Otherwise, he would permanently be with one arm. "The Guardians could use someone with a fire like yours. So what do you say? Join me and I shall see to your training personally so that you are ready to face your vengeance; or, shall you die here to join your kin on the other side? The choice is yours..."__  
><em>

_"... What do I have to do to be able to kill those bastards?"_

_"It seems this is not your appointed time to die..." She reached out a hand down to him. "I am called Aimee, what's your name?"_

_"Ron... It's Ron." He answered as he took her hand with his only arm. Seeing his struggles, she grabbed his severed arm with her free hand as she helped him up._

_"Well, Ron, welcome to the Guardians. You are now the second representative for North America in our non-existing organization. Can you live with knowing that you can never return to the life you had once known?"_

_"A price that I've already paid."_

_"As have I. Don't worry, I'll look after you until you're able to yourself."_

"Aimee."

"!" Aimee was awakened by the sound of Soma's voice. He had been waiting with her along with Sakuya and Kota at the City of Mercy's Starting Point to start their mission. She must have dozed off while waiting for the go to start the mission. Apparently the Vajras were entering into the area again and they would have to take a stray one out.

"Really, Aimee, sleeping out here in this dirt wasteland. You'll get your dress dirty." Sakuya lectured gently.

"Looks like you were out cold." Kota commented. "Have any good dreams?"

"No, just some memories." Aimee answered as Duke nudged her to get back on her feet.

"Whoa, that's interesting. Any good ones?"

"No, they're just... there."

"Whatever it was it's done now." Soma said, putting his God Arc on his shoulder. "We need to finish this so we can get out of this wasteland."

"Right... Let's get going."

*** Author's Notes ***

Sorry for the later than usual updates for me. This chapter was actually erased when my Wi-Fi was accidentally unplugged. I was so pissed I haven't gotten back to this chapter for days. Luckily only half of this chapter was lost, so I didn't have to start from the beginning. But it still was pretty annoying.


	18. Chapter 18

And so the trouble begins.

Gray Before the Storms

"Alright, let's go." Kota encouraged, receiving a confirmative reply from Sakuya.

"Let's go."

"Let's look for a lost kitty." Aimee gest around, earning a gruff of disgust from Duke. Turning left in the alleyway they bumped into three stray Cocoon Maidens on the Opening's platforms. "Looks like we've got extra guest. Let's take them out."

"Don't get in my way." Soma ordered at her as they both charged at two Cocoon Maidens on the far end platform while Kota and Sakuya took care of the closest one.

"Fine. You take the one on the left while I take the one on the right?"

"Hn," Soma confirmed in agreement as they both took out their targets in one charged blow. Before Duke and Soma extracted the cores, the Vajra had heard their ruckus while it was walking along the corner path of the Aragami church entrance. Turning around at the noise, it roared at them before pawing its way toward them.

"Looks like we found the kitty." Aimee joked as she focused her body to bring on a self induced burst. Thrusting her elbows backward in a controlled breath as her hair and eyes turned platinum and crimson. "To be honest, I'm more of a dog person really."

Duke gave a grunt of approval to that before he got ready to devour the Cocoon Maiden's core, while Soma did the same to his. Before Duke could take a bite, the Vajra jumped between Duke and the Cocoon Maiden, giving him an Oracle Boost while also extracting the decapitated Aragami's core. Going through a power burst, Duke increased to a size similar to the Vajra. Intimidating fangs came along with the new size. Wanting to share the power burst, Duke fired what would be considered the equivalent of a Team-bullet from the glowing end of his antenna at Aimee, Soma, and Kota since he was closer.

"Good boy!" Aimee praised at her PAR as she took advantage of her double boost to land a heavy combo on the Vajra and a back flip kick. Soma and Kota also took advantage of the power burst.

"Leave it to me!" Kota insisted, firing confidently at the Vajra with his Burst enhanced bullets while Duke confronted the Vajra in a fight of cats-and-dogs. Sakuya stayed in the back as support fire. Kota was happy for the extra boost, but Soma was not.

"Tst, stupid mutt. That was uncalled for." But Duke just let out a huff of air at his response. And if Soma didn't know any better he would say Duke also rolled his eyes at him.

"Don't be mean to Duke, Soma. He was only trying to help." Aimee lectured at Soma with squinting eyes.

"Hmph, I don't need any help." Soma said as he brought down a boosted charge attack down on the Vajra's skull.

"Well too bad, because you got it. So suck it up with grace and be appreciative about it." She huffed out a back fist to the Vajra's left cheek.

"I'm not going to waste my gratitude on a dog." Soma huffed out at the ridiculous notion.

"Well, you should, he might one day save your life!" Aimee grunted as she delivered a low roundhouse kick, knocking the Vajra off its front legs. Tired and beaten down, the Vajra tried to make a run for it into the church. But a good downward thrust kick to its right hind leg had it falling in its place. "Oh no you don't. You shall claim no Sanctuary."

"?" Ignoring her odd banter, Soma took advantaged of the down Vajra by going in for a Devouring bite. Which ironically finished it off.

"(Huff) That was a formidable enemy." Sakuya sighed out as the team began to relax now that their target was down. Soma and Duke went to extract its core, Duke still in burst mode which would probably last just as long as Soma's- maybe even longer.

"Alrightie! We nailed it this time too!" Kota cheered.

"Don't let your guard down." Soma warned.

"Hm?"

"What's wrong?" Soma asked Aimee as her and Duke started leaning in with theirs ears, Duke's ears suddenly sticking up in attention. Wondering what they were doing, he listened in too until he caught it. "Tst, something's around the corner."

"Whoa, really?!" Kota shouted in surprise. Duke's shoulders stiffening as he got in alert.

"Be quiet." Soma hissed out at Kota for being so loud. "Be on your guard."

They cautiously walked over to the church's corner. Turning to the other side to face what might be over there. Soma taking the lead with Aimee close beside him while Sakuya and Kota covered the back with Duke. What greeted them on the other side was not what they expected.

"What?" Soma stopped in his step in surprise.

"You guys?" Lindow said in confusion as him and Alisa bumped into another team in their registered section... again.

"Huh? What are you doing out here Lindow?" Kota questioned in confusion and a little bit concerned about Alisa. The poor Recruit looked like she was in a daze, that kind of behavior was dangerous out on the field. You could loose your head out here while your mind was in the clouds.

"Why would they send two teams to the same section again?" Sakuya question in confusion that the Den would make the same enter-lapping mistake twice. "What does this mean?"

"Let's worry about that later." Lindow ordered as he lifted a hand to gesture for Sakuya to halt in her tracks as she went to approach him. "We need to wrap this up and head back. We'll take the inside, you guys take the outside. Got it?"

They all nodded at his orders as he took charge of the situation. Him and Alisa entered the church while the others secured the entrance. But Duke's ears began to stand in attention again and began to wiggle around as if to try and lock on a fuzzy sound. Once he found it, he was not pleased. Crotching low in a fighting position, Duke began to growl viciously beyond the platform in front of them.

"Duke...?" Aimee called out to him in concern, the baby hairs on the back of her neck began to stand as her skin began to crawl. "Soma... something's wrong..."

"Hmph," Soma nodded in agreement, tightening his grip on his God Arc. "Sakuya, what's taking Lindow so long...?"

"I think they bumped into their... target." Sakuya began to say in nervousness as she started to hear the roars and actions going on inside the church. Gasping when she heard a sudden yell.

"No! Stop it!" A gun shot was heard soon after that, along with the sound of the ceiling crumbling down. Sakuya immediately ran toward the church's inner entrance to see what was going on. What she was greeted with was not good. Alisa down on her knees in a panicked daze as she stared at the close-in of the church's entrance... Lindow was nowhere around.

"Alisa! What have you done?!" Sakuya gasped out. She could hear the roar of the unknown Aragami on the other side of the block-in with Lindow most likely trapped on the other side with it. But Alisa wasn't there with them, she was in a deranged world of her own.

"No... No...! Daddy, Mommy... I-I didn't mean it!"

"Gh!" Ignoring her senseless rants, Sakuya turned toward the rumble. Firing shots to try and break through.

While she was busy with that, the others were slowly starting to get surrounded by multiple cat-like Aragami with the face of a cold cruel woman.

"This isn't good." Soma hissed as the Aragami began to surround them. "We're surrounded here too, dammit..."

Duke growled and barked at them as a warning. Not taking his threat, one of the cats charged first at him. Refusing to be taken lightly by a cat, Duke leaped at it in mid air. Tackling it to the ground while they fought for claim over the other one's jugular. Taking advantage of Duke's distraction, another Aragami cat took a bold leap at Kota, knocking him to the ground.

Seeing her teammate in trouble, Sakuya turned her attention away from the blockade to fire shots to push the Aragami back out of the church and away from the Kota. Getting back on his feet again, Kota took over for Sakuya at pushing the Aragami back out of the church with his shots. While Soma slash down on another cat Aragami that was leaping toward them, blocking it out as it tried to enter the church as Aimee sucker punched another one to the ground before it tried to take a bite out of her team.

"Hurry the hell up or we'll be surrounded!" Soma growled at Sakuya as he noticed the strange Aragami closing in on them fast.

Wanting to help quicken the pace, Aimee left the fighting to Kota, Soma, and Duke as she tried to help Sakuya break through the close-in by smashing through with her punches while she was still in her boost. The dig through was going faster, but still not fast enough to keep them from being surrounded. Things were not looking good.

"Take Alisa to the Den with you." Lindow seriously instructed to them on the other side of the rumble. "That's an order..."

Both Sakuya's and Aimee's eyes widen at the cruel audacity of his orders.

"But-" Sakuya gasped out before Lindow instantly interrupting with stern demanding command, refusing to accept a no for an answer.

"Didn't you hear me?! Take Alisa and head back to the Den, damn you!" His suicidal demands made Aimee pickup her pace at trying to punch through the entrance's seal since Lindow was so set for sacrificing himself for the team. "Sakuya, take charge of the others! Soma, find a way out of here!"

"Daddy... Mommy... I didn't mean it!" Alisa began to cry as she was still trapped in her own little world. Kota went to pick her up into a piggyback ride as he began to follow his Leader's orders. Aimee still persistent at trying to break him out, and Sakuya still tried to persuade him to try and escape.

"Hurry Lindow... come with us!" Sakuya insisted.

"I'd like to. But I think I'll mess with these guys first... save some ration beers for me!"

"No... then I'll stay and fight too." Sakuya pleaded for him to compromise. But he would not yield.

"Sakuya... I'm ordering you... make sure you get Everyone home alive."

"No!" She cried out at his cruel paradox, if she had to make sure everyone got back home alive then she couldn't leave him behind.

Seeing that she was not going to follow that order. Kota moved over to Sakuya to dragged her away while his other hand held up Alisa on his back. Sakuya resisted Kota's pull through all his tugs.

"Sakuya, come on!" Kota called out to her. "If we stay, we'll all end up dead!"

"I won't go! Lindow!" She cried out as Kota eventually pulled her away, only to realize that Aimee was still punching at the rumble and he had no more hands to spare.

"Soma! Grab Aimee!" Kota shouted to Soma. "Soma!"

"?!" Duke looked up from his brawl to bring his attention to his partner as Kota called her out. She pitifully kept punching the rumble, even as it was obvious she was barely making any progress. He turned toward Soma who continued to fight the teams way through, whining out to him. "(Whimper)!"

"What?!" Soma groaned at Duke in frustration, now was not the time for him to play the whining puppy. He turned toward the direction Duke's nozzle was pointing to see that Aimee was still in the church. "Ugh, damn it all!"

Soma growled as he made his way back into the church, wrapping an arm around Aimee to pull her away from the rumble.

"Come on, you idiot, we gotta go!"

"Wait! We can't leave Lindow like this!"

"He knows what he's doing, we gotta run before we all wind up dead!"

"No, nobody gets left behind! I've done that once, I don't want it to happen again."

"We don't have choice!" Soma growled at her, actually making process with moving her out of the church.

"Please..." She whimpered out, silencing a sniffle. The sudden change in her almost made him stop in place. "Soma, I lost Rose like this, I don't want to add Lindow to the list..."

"..."

"Soma, we have to help him..."

"... Sorry, Aimee... you did everything you could." Soma conversed to her, finally dragging her out of the church without her noticing.

"No!" She cried out as he lifted her onto Duke's enormous back, climbing on too behind her to act as a safety belt. Duke took off into a run away from the herd of Aragami once the two of them where safely on his back. "Soma, please!"

"Nh," Soma grunted out, sucking in a hiss at his own frustration that he could do nothing to save Lindow as well.

"No... Soma... why does history have a cruel tendency of repeating itself...?" She sadly asked to him, tired and broken by her weakness and uselessness over the situation.

"..." Soma couldn't answer her dejecting question. It was such a heartbreaking question, one that he had hoped she would never have to ask. He hated to admit it, but deep within the darkest part of his core, he had been afraid that time would repeat itself and he wouldn't be strong enough to save her... again.

Duke continued to run, picking up Kota, Alisa, and Sakuya as he continued to run. He didn't stop until he reached the safety of the Den. A sad cloud hung over the sky that day...


	19. Chapter 19

History is known to repeat itself.

Lindow's Sacrifice

A gloom has fallen over the Den these last few days. Two days had passed and still no signs of Lindow has been found. The Search Missions in the City of Mercy and its surrounding areas have all come out empty handed, for the First Unit and their close affiliates. Things were taking a toll for the worse for the First Unit as it is. Alisa was still bed written in the Sick Bay, and Sakuya and Soma had taken it upon themselves to lock themselves in their rooms and only coming out when it was time for another Search Mission. Aimee could have easily broken through the locks, but... right now Soma needed his space and some alone time...

Kota and the Guardians did their best to take care of the other extra missions while the rest of the First Unit was incapacitated. It was hard work and tiring, it was only minor Fallen Ogretails, Zygotes, and a stray Gboro, but the gloom of the others was starting to wear them down. But it was after this one unsuccessful Search Mission in the City of Mercy that things started to take a turn for the worse. The First Unit had bumped into a Chi-You, but had found no signs of Lindow. The rumble and close-in at the church had long cleared out, meaning that he could've gone anywhere in the surrounding area. However, due to the continually fruitless results Tsubaki had limited the Search Missions to only the First Unit. This brought on an uproar from the Second and Third Unit. With each passing day, the chances of Lindow surviving out there was dwindling as we speak. But Tsubaki had said they could not afford to waste their resources on someone who may or may not be alive.

Even though she said that, the First Unit knew that it was only a mask. If anything, Tsubaki would give up an arm and a leg in order to take up her God Arc again just to go out their and search for Lindow herself. He was her little brother after all...

Not wanting to forget about Alisa, Aimee had taken it upon herself to pay Alisa a visit after another unsuccessful Search Mission. They had searched the City of Mercy again, and only found a Gboro and another Chi-You. Perhaps a visit to Alisa would cheer them both up, Heaven knows none of the other God Eaters had cared to check up on her. Besides, she had a right to an update. But as Aimee walked her way to the Sick Bay all she was greeted by were screams of hysteria on the other side of the door.

"Don't look at me. Stay away...!" Alisa? "Leave me alone... leave me alone!"

"Give her a tranquilizer... and change the padding." Tsubaki ordered to the nurses on the other side.

"Oh... I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." Alisa kept apologizing in hysteria. "Daddy... Mommy... it's not... it's not what you think!"

"!" Her parents...

"It's me... do you recognize me, Alisa?" Tsubaki said more gently to her than she did for the nurses. But it seem that Alisa didn't even acknowledge her.

"I didn't! I didn't mean to do it!" Aimee slowly made her way to the door, but was stopped when she heard what Alisa said next. "You're wrong! It wasn't me! It wasn't my fault!"

"!" Aimee and Tsubaki gasped on both sides of the door at her outburst.

"Leave me alone! You should've just left me alone!"

"..." What cruel past could have been torturing her...?

"Oh it's you." A voice of a middle aged man stopped Aimee in her tracks just as she was about to open the door. His lab coat suggested that he was one of the Den's doctors. "You better not see her right now."

"Doctor?"

"Oguruma," he introduced himself before explaining. "Once the medication wears off she falls to pieces. You should come back another day."

"But..."

"NO!" Alisa cried out brokenly on the other side of the door.

"I'm sure... she wouldn't want you to see her in that state either."

"... (Sigh) All right... I understand..." Once he realized he had gotten his point across, Dr. Oguruma went off to do something else. Leaving Aimee alone in the hall again. "Lindow... you sacrificed yourself to save a broken child... I pray your choice was not in vain. No... I shall see to it..."

*** Next day ***

Another day, another failed Search Mission. Just ended up taking care of a Kongou. They keep just finding Aragami, Aimee would think by now they'd realize that Lindow had most likely moved to another area. Probably injured and unable to return to the Den, hiding in a secluded area to secure his 360. But she would remain silent... the First Unit had enough on their plate as it is.

She had decided to try paying a visit to Alisa, Visiting Hours were open again, and she had nothing else to do the rest of the day. Maybe she could see if Alisa was doing better. When Aimee got into the Sick Bay Alisa was knocked out cold, not even the loud noises of the medical machines could wake her up. Aimee couldn't help but laugh to herself that there was once a time she didn't do well around high-tech machines. It went against what she was raised. But over her time with the Guardians, it had become a thing of the past. It was funny how time changes all.

"It's no use trying to talk." Dr. Oguruma said about Alisa, shooting Aimee from her thoughts. "I've recieved some very effective tranquilizers. She won't regain consciousness anytime soon."

That maybe so, but even in darkness one can feel the warmth of another close by. Alisa may not be able to hear Aimee's voice, but she should be able to feel her presence there. That alone, should be a comfort enough. And so, Aimee sat by Alisa's bedside.

Reaching out toward her, Aimee took Alisa's hand. But once their flesh had met, she was bombarded with a sensation similar to that one time with Soma. Memories began to flow through her eyes, images flashed in her mind that were not hers. They were jumbled and too quick, Aimee could make no sense of them. Just as they stopped, Alisa's eyes began to open.

"What? Where am I? Why am I...?" Alisa woke up in confusion, but Aimee was too surprised at what had just happened to be able to answer her. And Dr. Oguruma was in no better state of mind either.

"She actually regained consciousness?! Impossible! E-excuse me." He was in so much shock that he couldn't find any other words to say as he just walked out of the Sick Bay. Ignoring his little 'systems error,' Aimee turned her attention back to Alisa.

"Just now... you..." But that was all Alisa could say before falling into a more natural sense of sleep.

Aimee couldn't help but look to her accusing hand with astonishment and questioning. How could that have happened? Surely she wasn't a psychic. The elders had been sure she had no fortune-telling ability, she was only a fighter. Perhaps it was Alisa's unique Bias Factor, compared to the other God Eaters, that made her remotely similar to the Guardians in ordered for her to possibly form a... Resonance with Aimee. But Alisa most likely would not be able to do the same with Soma, due to the gap in Bias Factor difference. Something about this made Aimee feel that her and the Guardians were considered the Middleman.

Either way, Alisa was tired and needed her rest. Aimee would leave her be, for now.

*** The next day ***

Tsubaki had summoned all of the active duty First Unit members and the Guardians to the Entrance's lounge. God Eaters near the couches and Guardians leaning on the Floor's left side rails. Apparently she had some announcements to make before they were to start the day's mission. Sakuya and Soma were itching for her to hurry, they wanted to get on to their Search Mission as soon as possible.

"I'm changing this mission to 'eradicate all Aragami in the Vicinity.'" Was what Aimee was greeted with as she zone back in to Tsubaki. "As for Alisa, after further test she's on the road to recovery. But as she's in the hospital, she won't be seeing active combat for a while. Lastly... as of today, Gods Eater Lindow, is designated as Missing in Action/Discharged. That is all."

"..."

"How could that be? We haven't even found his armlet or God Arc," Sakuya said in disbelief of the blatant news.

"It's a decision from the top. Also we confirmed that the beacon and biometric signal from the armlet has vanished. Now that attacks from unidentified Aragami has intensified we cannot afford to search for someone who may or may not be alive." Allowing no further arguments, Tsubaki walked off to perform another duty. Soma just walked off without saying a word.

"Listen! Don't you think it's crazy that they give up the search so soon?" Sakuya burst out, stopping Aimee in her tracks from pursuing after Soma out of concern for Sakuya's emotional health. "We even know which Aragami attacked and where! So why...?"

"..." They waited for Sakuya to finish what she had to say as she paused to stop the tears from coming out.

"No... I'm sorry... I shouldn't be lashing out at you."

"Sakuya-" Aimee reached out to her in concern, but she began to walk off.

"I'm gonna try to cool off for a while... Don't worry. I'll be back on duty on time."

"..." They all stared in pity as she walked into the elevator.

"Sakuya sure seems upset, doesn't she?" Kota said aloud to no one in particular.

"No shit, Sherlock." Yummie sassed back, earning a pop in the back of the head from Nonna. "Ow!"

"Shh!" Kamali instructed to her with the universal symbol for silence. Not really paying attention to Yummie's remark, Kota went on talking. And this time focused on Aimee.

"I think you and others did a good job... But... what the heck's up with Alisa all of a sudden?"

"She has a lot of baggage to carry. And we have no knowledge of what they contain." Aimee answered enigmatically.

"Look, you're good with people... so maybe-"

"Again?" Aimee interrupted him with a sigh. "Why does everybody keep saying that lately?"

"Because it's true. Anyway, maybe you should stay by her side."

"..." Aimee didn't say anything and simply gave him a nod, accepting his request. Alisa would need Aimee by her side at this time. It's not like any of the other God Eaters cared enough to be concerned. Or in Kota's- and quite possibly Sakuya's- case were too busy. She honestly couldn't tell what category Soma might be in about this situation.

"Okay," Kota nodded back to her with a small smile, happy that she would agree to it. Alisa wasn't really liked that much in the Den because of her arrogant attitude. She needed someone to look after her during these hard times, goodness knows Kota already had his hands full with Sakuya and the rest of the Den. Speaking of which... "I'm going to make sure Sakuya's alright."

"..." Then he ran off into the elevator, the last of the First Unit members finally gone. Leaving the Guardians all alone to themselves.

"Aimee..." Nonna called out to her for instructions.

"We will continue to look for him on the side." Aimee ordered to them. "We are affiliates of Fenrir but under no orders to them. We'll keep the search going and actually look more than just the City of Mercy."

"Yeah, anybody would've run to another secure location by this point." Yummie huffed out in sheer sarcasm and annoyance at Fenrir's one mind track. Rolling her eyes to give it an extra flare.

"Speak of this to no one. I've got something that I need to take care of." She didn't have to say anymore, her eyes said it all as they looked toward the elevator as she turned her back to them. They knew where she was going.

"You seem to have grown quite a fondness for that Soma boy." Azuma pointed out from where he was leaning on the railings with is arms crossed. There was a subtle hint of disapproval in his voice.

"Yeah, well you seem to have quite a fondness for Kamali and I'm not stopping you." She shot back with a smirk, never getting to see the fluttered face and red blush that coated Azuma at her words. It didn't help much that he was leaning on the railings right beside Kamali if he was going to tell Aimee otherwise.

"Tst," was all he could hiss out at her with a growl that he kept inside himself. The others tried to hide in their snickers, all except Yummie who just let it all out. Leaving Azuma in his embarrassment, Aimee continued on her way. Making a stop at her room before going to her primary destination.

*** Veteran's Floor ***

They were going to start again soon, Soma just knew it. But he didn't have time for the rumors, nor was he in the mood for them. He had just lost a good friend of four years. Sure Lindow would annoy him at times, but he was still a good guy. And he was so strong, it was hard to believe he would go down like that. He always said to them to come back alive, but the damn bastard couldn't even follow his own orders himself.

Taking an angry sip of his soda, Soma just sat there. Sitting on the Floor's snack lounge's cushioned benches, with his arms resting on his knees. Sometimes he just cursed his amazing hearing...

'Hey... did you hear? About Lindow from the First Unit?'

'Yeah, jeez, another martyr from Soma's team!'

'H-hey, you moron! He can hear you!'

"Dammit!" Soma growled out in frustration. When the elevator doors to the wall across from him opened.

"Somebody seems to not be in a good mood." Aimee jeered at him as she noticed his sour face the moment she stepped out of the elevator.

"What are you doing here Aimee?" His mood lifted at the sight of her presence, but not by much. He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the mandolin strapped on her back.

"I thought we could play together. I fear my fingers are starting to get rusty." She shrugged, taking the mandolin from its hanging on her back to hold in her hands.

"You must be joking."

"I am completely serious."

"Go play by yourself."

"But-"

"I'm not in the mood right now!" He growled at her, not in frustration at her but at the world itself.

"Please..."

"?!" Her whimper caught him off guard. Soma had to look back up at her when he heard the distress in her voice... She was actually on the verge of crying...

"My heart is too heavy... I-I could really use music right now. It has always helped relieve the pain..." She didn't have it in her to tell him it was his music that helped ease her pain. Whether his right now... or his in his past life, it always made her feel better. It had been so long since she had heard him play that she craved any opportunity she could get, never taking it for granted. Although she would never tell Soma this, somehow she felt like he already knew from the look in his eyes.

"... Fine." Soma sighed out, giving in as he got up on his feet and tossed his emptied can in the trash. Shoving his hands in his pants pocket, he walk the extra steps over to Aimee. "I could use some damn ventilation anyway."

In the depths of Soma's mind, giving in to Aimee's request was worth it... just to see that genuine smile on her face. He would take that any day, over the damn whispers of the Den. He feared the day when the whispers would finally reach her, and she would eventually find out what he tried so hard to hide. She never judged by what others had to say, nor did she hold his attitude against him. But he never wanted to chance what she would think about him if she found out what he really was.

*** That night ***

"I... just can't accept the fact that... the search has been called off."

"You're bringing that up again?" Tsubaki huffed at Sakuya as they waited for the elevator. "It's what the top brass decided. They won't reverse it."

"It's not just his armlet. Even his God Arc's disappeared! When a God Eater goes missing in action, the protocol is to keep searching until the God Arc's been retrieved! Am I wrong?"

"It's been over a week since he vanished... The chances of him having survived are close to zero... Even less if he's mortally wounded..."

"But... but... Tsubaki..." Sakuya began to cry as Tsubaki went into the elevator and left Sakuya on the Floor alone.

But once the elevator doors finally closed, Tsubaki leaned onto the opposite wall and began to break down and cry.

"... Lindow... Lindow..."

"... I'm sorry..."

"!" Tsubaki silently gasp at the sudden intrusion at her moment of weakness. She slightly turned her head to see Aimee leaning against the wall of the elevator doors with her eyes closed. She had been so distracted by her sorrows that she didn't even notice that Aimee was in the elevator.

"If you want to cry, you can... I can't see a thing..." Aimee said, keeping her eyes closed. "Everybody has a moment where they need to let the pain out, even you..."

"..."

"I know I can't say I understand your pain... I've grown up a lonely child. I've never known the lost of a brother, nor can I say I truly understand it. But... I... I just want you to know that I'm truly sorry."

"..."

"Go ahead and cry... the darkness will keep your secret..."

"... Thank you..."

'Lindow... seriously... what the hell were you thinking, leaving all these good people alone like that?' Aimee thought to herself as she looked into the darkness behind her eyelids. 'Did you really think anybody would win from your choice of playing hero?'


	20. Chapter 20

Sometimes the meanest person just needs an outstretched hand.

Alisa's Darkness

It was early in the morning, when Aimee decided to pay Alisa a visit. And... she was extremely nervous. Looking down at her hand, the hand that liked to look into people's soul. She knew she had to give it a try, but it felt like she was trying to peak in at people's most inner secrets. It felt like a violation, one that she had no right to do, and... she could hardly bare it. And each time she did it she exposed a little of herself... her very bruised self...

With a heavy heart she brought her hand in to connect with Alisa's. Ready for the violation of both parties. When she Resonances with Alisa, she did not expect to see the world through Alisa's small eyes. She did not expect to watch her parents die between the crack of an abandoned dresser. Or even the major role that Director Johannes played at making her become a Gods Eater so she could get revenge for her parents. But Aimee nearly broke out of Alisa's memories from her rage when she saw how Dr. Oguruma manipulated her during her weak grieving mind to get her into thinking that Lindow was an Aragami. And not only that... the Aragami that killed her parents.

So they wanted Lindow dead... so there was corruption in the Organization. Just like in hers when... when...

"What? What was that?" Aimee was pulled out of her thoughts, Alisa had awakened. "Just now, I felt your emotions flowing into my mind... could it be... that it happened to you too?"

Aimee simply nodded and said, "you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

But Alisa shook her head as she looked down at her hands gripping the sheets and began to explain.

"I thought I'd forgotten all about that day... until right now... I thought I play a trick on my parents... and went to hide in a nearby building during a game of hide-and-seek. 'Ready or not, here we come'... And then... suddenly they were running and shouting 'Aragami! It's an Aragami!'"

Her grip on her sheets loosened as she went to grip her head in pain. She was so full of guilt about her memories... and regret...

"I should've rushed out then... but I was so scared I couldn't move. Daddy and Mommy... came to look for me... but... I heard a terrible growling... and then... Right before my eyes!"

Aimee reached out for Alisa's hand in comfort, hoping her calmness would flow through Alisa. It seemed to be working grounding her.

"If only I realized... if I only ran out sooner... Neither of them would've... it's all my fault."

"No..." Aimee finally spoke and shook her head at Alisa's accusations. "It's not your fault. It's not their fault either. There was no other reason, it was just their time to cross the river..."

"But, that's why... when they told me I was being considered for a 'New Type God Eater.' I thought 'now I can get revenge for my parents!'" She cried out shaking her head. Aimee had saw the image of Lindow that flashed through Alisa's head during the time she was hospitalized in her youth, when their hands were still connected. Immediately rising from her seat, Aimee reached for Alisa's hand again. Moving it away from Alisa's head as she held her in a comforting embrace. "I'm sorry... I don't even know myself what's going on..."

"Shh, it's alright Sweetie..." Aimee soothed to her. "No one ever truly does..."

They had stayed like that for a long time, until Alisa had finally calmed down. Aimee had returned to her bedside seat as a comforting silence took over the room.

"... Thank you."

"?" Aimee tilted a head to Alisa in confusion.

"It was you who held my hand like this too the other day, wasn't it? Those warm emotions... I could feel them flow into me. I saw it all... your happy memories... your sad ones... I... I'm so sorry... what I said at the Mesh Hall..."

"Shh, you're young... you didn't know..."

"And you're so old. Looking good though." Alisa joked earning a playful shove and some giggles from Aimee.

"Watch it little lady. Better hope you look as good as me when you reach my age."

"Which one? 19 or 66?"

"Both if you're lucky!" They both began to burst into a fit of laughter. A comforting happy glow began to aura the room in warmth...

*** Later that day ***

Sakuya had been given off that day, direct orders from Tsubaki. And it was a good thing too, Sakuya looked like she hadn't slept in days. It was okay that she grieved for Lindow, but not at her own cost on the field. They had already lost one friend, they couldn't loose another one. Tsubaki had also ordered her to rely on others more... she must have heard how Sakuya would roll off Kota's attempts to comfort her. Aimee didn't mean to listen in on their conversation with her sensitive hearing, but she had to agree with Tsubaki's tough love. Sakuya needed to rely on her friends more, not just face her troubles on her own and lock herself in her room.

Speaking of locking themselves away, she would have to have a word with Soma as well. But that would have to wait until later. She needed to take care of a new type of Aragami in the Infernal Subway with Kota, since Sakuya was off duty and Soma was locking himself away in his room. Not to mention her Guardians were given their own assignments for the day as well, she'd have to go out with them another day. Apparently the Aragami they would be facing had the characteristics of a giant scorpion, they called it a Borg Camlann...

*** After the day's mission ***

Aimee had went to Sakuya's room to check in and see how she was doing. She did not expect Sakuya to be so jumpy when she had opened her room door. It was unlocked so she thought it was okay.

"Oh, it's you..."

"Hiding porn...?" Aimee joked around, making Sakuya flush but had seemed to have done the trick at calming her down.

"N-no!"

"It's okay if it is Sakuya. Everybody has needs."

"I'm not watching porn!" Sakuya puffed up in anger as she saw that Aimee was messing with her from her shaking shoulders and barely held in laughs. "Ugh, is there something wrong?"

"No." Aimee had answered, calming down. "I just though you deserved an update."

"Oh?"

"There's something about Alisa that I think you need to know."

And so they sat down at Sakuya's couch, talking... Aimee had told her everything about the Resonance, about Alisa's past... and the mistaken identity with Lindow. Sakuya had seemed to have taken it all in with a calm understand. But Aimee knew from experience that looks can be deceiving and some masks were hard to find.

"I see, Alisa's... thanks for letting me know. But really, to think you can communicate just by touching... I wonder if that's a power you Guardians and New-Types share."

"I think so... due to us being the dosage in between..."

"Please, stay by her side for a while will you?"

"Of course, I intended to even before I was asks. But Sakuya, I think you should visit her at some point as well..."

"What...?"

"I know that... you liked Lindow... a lot. His disappearance affected you the most out of everyone. And I know deep down, you slightly blame Alisa for what happened that day. And you honestly have every right to do that. But... she could really use your forgiveness. It would mean a lot to her if you did..."

"Thank you, I'll try to pay her a visit some time..."

"Good," Aimee smiled at her acceptance. She knew that Sakuya was going to do it. Getting what she needed to get done, she got up from her seat and headed out the door. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got another shut in to checkup on. Let's hope he isn't watching anything inappropriate either."

"I was not watching porn!" Aimee just laughed as Sakuya fumed in embarrassment as the door closed.

Just walking across the hall, Aimee went into Soma's room. Surprisingly he left his door unlocked, unlike what he usually did. He didn't even notice her coming in as he was lost in his own thoughts. She quietly walked to his side as he stayed focused on whatever caught his attention on his broken Terminal screen. It looked like he had punched through the glass at some point, but it still was able to function. He continued to talk aloud to himself as she looked over his shoulder unannounced.

"I have a feeling that Bastard has something to do with it. But... damn it, not enough information..."

"This must be the most soft core porn I've ever seen..."

"!" Soma nearly had to fight the urge to jump back as he turned his head toward Aimee in surprise at her sudden visit. How the hell did he not notice her sneak up on him?

"Or maybe this would be considered a smut novel...?" She continued to joked around as she looked at his Terminal screen.

"What the hell are you doing here?" He groaned out in his attempt at his usual annoyed tone, but he was slightly panicked that she might have seen what he was looking up. Going to close the tab screen, he blocked Aimee from what he was searching.

"Just checking in. Aw, you didn't have to do that. I wanted to read your taste in genre."

"The hell?! I wasn't reading dime store smut!" He said, getting red in the face.

"Hentai?"

"No!"

"Yaoi and Yuri mangas?"

"You're a sicko, you know that?!"

"Hey there's nothing wrong with the gay manga genre." Aimee teased with raised hands in surrender before bringing a hand to her chin as she pondered in thought. "Although, I would like them a whole lot more if they didn't make the love relationships in them seem more like rapist. Seems like it personified the ignorance of the time..."

"You are so weird..." Soma sighed, shaking his head as his fingers touched his head, barely covering the center of his face.

"Aw, you are so sweet!" Aimee cooed, bringing her hands together as she looked up to him in awe with sparkling eyes.

"What?" He coughed out, raising a brow at her antics. Taking a startled step back as she leaped at him to wrap her arms around his neck. Kicking a foot up in the air as she rubbed her cheek on his in affection. "!"

"You are just too sweet to care enough to noticed that much about me!"

"Anybody would be able to noticed that, now would you please get off of me!" Soma growled in embarrassment. But slightly pouted when she let him go. Giving him some space as she rolled in place on the heel of her feet with her arms behind her back.

"Don't be like that, I missed you."

"Nh, it's only been two days." He growled, crossing his arms. Trying to ignore the flutter he felt inside when she said she missed him.

"I know, but it felt like forever."

"Hmph, you have an extremely misinterpretation on the length of 'forever.'"

"Maybe, but... when one lives the life I have, every second counts..."

"..."

"You wanna play...?"

"... Tst, fine. Go get your damn instrument."

"Yay!"

"Hmph," he couldn't help but smirk under his hoodie in amusement.

*** The next morning ***

Again, Aimee had went to the Sick Bay to pay Alisa a visit before her missions started. And again, Alisa was doing much better than the day before. However this time Sakuya had taken Aimee's word and paid Alisa a visit. Alisa was slightly panicked at her presence.

"Oh... Sakuya... W-what brings you here, may I ask?"

"Don't worry... I'm not here to blame you for anything."

"Then...?"

"I want you to tell me about it. About... that day, that moment... what happened to you?"

"..."

"To be honest, I still can't accept what you did. But that's also precisely the reason why I want to know what it is that's making me so uneasy. I heard about your past... I know it's a hard thing that I'm asking you to do..."

"..." Alisa had looked over to Aimee for guidance, but Aimee simply nodded in a gester for her to go on. "... Did you know that I am being treated regularly for mental health issues?"

"Yes, I know."

"After my parents were killed, I was mentally unstable and spent the next few years in the hospital. But then, one day, I was told that Fenrir had chosen me as a New Type candidate. And so I was forcibly transferred from my hospital to a Fenrir hospital."

"You were...?"

"No, it was alright. The new doctor took such good care of me, and I thought that I'd have the chance to avenge my parents' death..."

"!"

"After that, I was put under medication to keep my symptoms in check. And I studied the enemy... and how to fight. The new doctor from Fenrir was so kind to me all the time. He even had himself transferred to the Far East Branch with me when I left..."

"..." Aimee remained silent, too much of a kindness spoke of hidden motives. But Aimee didn't want to tell Alisa that, she was still on the road to recovery.

"So this doctor is still here at the Den, right?" Sakuya put two-and-two together.

"Yes. You all know him- it's Dr. Oguruma."

"..." Sakuya remain silently serious, while Aimee had to bite her bottom lip to hide in a hiss. The doctor hadn't shown himself since that day Aimee had first experienced a Resonance with Alisa. And he would most likely never appear before them again. Aimee would have to curse her luck for her late realization. "I see... I'm sorry, please go on."

"While continuing my mental health treatment; I search for the Aragami that killed my parents. The doctor showed me which one it was."

"..." Alisa couldn't honestly believe that this man would be able to track down the exact Aragami that killed her parents? But it would seem that they were wrong.

"I had heard that this Aragami had appeared in the Far East Branch area. I came here vowing to find it no matter what... And just when I had finally found it...!" Alisa began gripping her head in pain as if she was having a major headache. "I don't know how it happened! In that moment, in my mind, Lindow had become the enemy! Before I knew, I was pointing my gun at him! (Sob)!"

"..." Aimee and Sakuya had waited for Alisa to let her woes out before Sakuya spoke again.

"I'm sorry I made you go through that." Sakuya apologized before giving Alisa a smile. "Thank you. I'll come again."

"..." She had turned to give Aimee a silent thank you nod as well, which she return in stride to Sakuya for coming in the first place. After that, Sakuya had walked out, leaving the two alone in the Sick Bay again. Troubled, hurt, and seeking for guidance, Alisa turned to Aimee.

"What... should I do?!"

"..." Aimee reached out a hand to grab hers like she normally would, soaking in her warmth into Alisa. As she spoke to Alisa with a soothing voice and soft eyes. "You should just be yourself. You'll be fine..."

*** Later that day during the mission ***

"I heard you visited Alisa this morning, how's she doing?" Kota asked Aimee over the rain as he fired at Quadriga. The bloody thing was like an elephant and a tank got together and had a baby. Low and stiff, but powerful with each strike. The Aragami even hurt like hell when it ran through them during its stampede tantrums.

"She's doing better, I'd say she be out of the Sick Bay before you know it."

"Well that's good. Looks like the Unit is slowly recovering."

"Hm, indeed..."

*** Later in the Rebellion's Beacon Mission ***

Aimee had finally gotten a chance to work with her Guardians again. As her and Kamali, Azuma, and Yummie took on the Chi-You and two Kongous in the opening area in the City of Mercy with their PARs. Azuma and Kamali took on a Kongou together, while Yummie took on the Chi-You and Aimee took on the other Kongou.

"Glad to see you could join us on a mission today, Aimee." Yummie teased at her. "I was beginning to think you replaced us for another team."

"Pfft, please. It's more fun when I fight with you guys. Beside, I'm more use to your style than the God Eaters. The First Unit has just needed my help on getting back on their feet."

"Hm, be careful. They may come to rely on you too dependently." Kamali warned.

"I thought that. Soon they'll get a replacement leader for the First Unit to relieve me of my interference. I'll return to the background before you know it."

"Hmph, I doubt it." Azuma commented. "Not with that bond you're starting to grow with the members."

"Oh hush now, you can't tell me you haven't grown fond of the God Eaters as well."

"Tst, I suppose..."

"They are our Succeeding Heirs. We have to look after them as they take on the burden that we should have eliminated before..." Kamali added in before they all focused on their Aragami. Azuma paid attention to her words like a nurture. Aimee listen to them as a past sin set in stone...

*** Later on the Return Mission ***

The sky had become cloudy as Aimee made it to her next extra mission at the Sunken Grid as she went to take on a Vajra and two Chi-Yous with Nonna, Ron, and Jack with their PARs. Ron and Jack took on the Vajra in Sector K while Aimee and Nonna each took on a Chi-You on the platforms in Sector I.

"Come on you bloody tiger, I thought you had more of a bite in you?"

"Don't taunt him, Jack. You'll only provoke it."

"Which is exactly why I'm doing it, mate."

"Just leave him be, Ron. He's not going to stop anyway."

"Just like you won't stop flirting with that young man." Nonna nonchalantly teased at Aimee in one of her rare playful moments. You wouldn't even know she was joking around if not for the way she was smirking when she flipped over backwards as she strapped her rifle back on her back to pull out her double pistols she had holstered on her lower thighs to fire at her Chi-You.

Most of the Guardians had subsidiary backup weapons that they rarely used, even Aimee. The only real exception to this was Kamali and to some extent Nonna. The only person who didn't have a secondary weapon was Ron. Even Jack and Yummie had smaller versions of their weapons, and Azuma had his tanto and Aimee her throwing knives.

But hearing her teasing, Aimee lightly flushed as she came down harder on the Chi-You with her push. "S-shut up, Nonna. Don't judge me."

"I'm not. I just never thought you were in to Shy Boys."

"Ugh...!"

"(Chuckle) All right, Nonna, enough picking on her. You're gonna turn her skin red if this keeps up." Ron teased, coming to his leader's defense.

"Are you going to visit your lover boy after this when we're done, love?" Jack asked.

"Ugh, if these missions keep up, I might be too tired to even leave my room."

*** Later on the City Riot Mission ***

"You have got to be kidding me..." Aimee groaned out as her, Nonna, Kamali, and Azuma had to return to the City of Mercy again to take care of some stray Aragami. The day was almost over, and the sun was going down.

"I though you guys had cleared out the area?" Nonna picked at them.

"Can it, Nonna. Let's just get this over with so we can get done for the day." Aimee sighed as she had to take on a Kongou. While Azuma took on a Gboro, Nonna took on the Chi-You, and Kamali took on the other Kongou. All of them facing off beside each other and their PARs as they fought in the Opening area again. "Ugh, I'm so tired..."

"Do you find it strange how they send you on missions back-to-back without rest?"

"I don't know, Kamali. Maybe they're a little short handed."

"Or maybe they're testing you."

"For what?"

"I know not..."

*** The next morning ***

Aimee and Kota were talking among themselves in the Entrance's lounge when Alisa had strolled her way in. She had her head down and had a shy step in her walk that lack the usual confidence she had displayed when she first came to the Den. She looked so delicate and so breakable... Aimee could see through the vulnerability that Alisa had finally tore down her walls to show them who she really was.

"As of today, I'll be turning to the Unit. Once again, I look forward to working with you." She nervously spoke to them.

"When will you be resuming actual combat?" Kota asked without any judgement in his voice.

"That... hasn't been decided yet..."

"I see..." Suddenly the hurtful remarks of other God Eaters rang out through the Entrance. They didn't even try to hide their words.

'Hey did you hear? The New-Type... she's finally been reinstated!'

'Yeah, the little wretch that trapped Lindow with that new type Vajra and left him for dead!'

'By the way, after all those airs she put on, she can't go back into combat anymore, I hear.'

'(Laugh) Jeez, she's all talk and no bite.'

"Watch your tongues before I cut them out myself!" Aimee hissed down at them with a rolling tongue, making them run for it. But the damage had already been done, Alisa was already hurt by the hard blow on her conscious.

"Why don't you laugh too? Go ahead..."

"We're better than such actions." Aimee huffed as if insulted.

"We're not going to laugh at you." Kota had gotten her to ease a little until he dropped the ball by keeping going. "Hey, um... never mind that. You know that new type Vajra that attacked Lindow?"

"!" She flinched at the memory. Panicking, Kota kept going.

"Seems like the Europe Branch was able to spot it too... Since we've been encountering more and more new types lately, I've been thinking it may be a sign of something to come, you know?"

"..." Alisa looked sadder than a puppy caught in the rain.

Kota gave in to his defeat, tapping Aimee's shoulder and gives her the sorry prayer gesture as he left Aimee to clean up his mess. "Sorry, take it from here."

"Thanks a lot, Kota."

"I have a favor to ask of you." Alisa called out to her, but flinched back into her insecurities again when she finally got Aimee's attention. "Um... uh... could you please show me the proper way to fight again? I want to protect someone dear to me... this time, of my own free will!"

"Alright... if it helps you find the real you..."

*** Wailing Plains ***

"Alisa... you can't just follow me." Aimee sighed out as Alisa followed close behind her like a shadow. It was hard to stop when she knew that Alisa would bump into her back at the sudden stop. "You can't keep copying exactly what I do. You have to follow your own style."

"But..."

"Here it comes," Aimee turned as the Chi-You jumped down into the arena from the twister. "You have two good different type of weapons. You should learn when to switch and rotate between them in combat."

"But... how will I know when to use which?"

"Your body should naturally know when which one would work best at the moment. Just trust your instincts."

"My instincts..."

Alisa started to fire face shots at the Chi-You while Aimee aim for low blow hits on it. Once she ran out of bullets, she started slashing at the Chi-You's top half with her blade-mode while Aimee went for face punches with her. However, the Chi-You made a run for it. Before they could give chase, two stray Blaze Fallen Zygotes got in their way.

"Good, some practice. Learn to alternate modes on them." Aimee instructed.

"Right," Alisa fired at the first one knocking it down than changing into blade-mode to finish it out.

"Good, try to adapt to the changes when working with another teammate." Aimee said, jumping in the air to punch the second Zygote down. Alisa didn't fire while Aimee was in the way and went for blade attacks beside Aimee when she had knocked the second Zygote down. Duke busied himself with devouring the Zygotes' cores while the girls charged at the Chi-You devouring salvage material at the corner of a destroyed building. Jumping up together with some slices and some punches to finish off the Chi-You. Aimee allowed Alisa to get re-familiar with extracting Aragami cores by letting her devour the core with her God Arc. "Hey, you're getting better."

"Can we train some more?"

"Sure, we'll keep training until you feel confident with yourself."

*** Later that day in the Wailing Plain ***

"More Zygotes? Well at least they're normal ones." Aimee pointed out as two stray Zygotes got in their way. Aimee took out one while Alisa handled the other while the Kongou in the area came running toward them. Duke was eating Aimee's dead Zygote while Alisa shot her Zygote to the ground. Getting caught off guard by the sudden roll attack Aimee had to dodge when the Kongou got in a lucky punch on Aimee's face.

"Ugh!" She cried out as she hit the ground. "Did I just get manhandled?"

Angered by the Kongou bruising his partner, Duke leaped at the Kongou's face and chomped off its face armor. The blow knocked it off its feet just as Alisa got done extracting her Zygotes core.

"Over here," Alisa called over to Aimee as she took a Devouring bite out of the Kongou to get an Oracle Burst. "Here."

She shot both Aimee and Duke Team-bullets, giving Aimee two of the three. Duke grew in size from the temporary power boost, biting off the Kongou's tail armor while it was still down. Still slightly pissed, Aimee got into a self induced burst and started going for face shots at the Kongou while Alisa shot at the side. Once down, Alisa and Duke extracted the core.

"That went down more smoothly. Just remember not to copy me like that by letting your emotions get in the way of the battlefield." Aimee instructed.

"Yes ma'am."

"Now let's take care of that Gboro in the area. Then we can get out of the rain."

*** Forgotten Carrier ***

"I think this should be the last practice for the day. The sun's starting to go down." That last mission had a surprise Fallen Ogretail, but oddly enough things went down more smoothly and quicker than it did with the Kongou.

"Yes... I feel that this 'll be more than enough." Alisa agreed as they ran down the broken bridge.

The Borg Calmann was waiting for them on the far end of Sector E, roaring at them as they charged their way toward each other. Aimee had stayed striking at its legs while Alisa fired at its armored mouth. The Aragami rolled low to swing its needled tail in a attack. Aimee crossed her arms over her face in an attempt to block it, but her enhanced body could only block so much damage compared to a Oracle Shield. She took damage, but not as much as she was slightly pushed back from the blow. Not taking that with out a fight, Aimee gave the Aragami a hard roundhouse kick. Destroying its leg armor, and knocking it off its feet.

"We did it!" Alisa cheered as she went for a Devouring bite. "Over here."

Alisa had shot off the Borg Camlann's arm shields while in her Oracle Burst, and went in for another Devouring bite as Aimee knocked the Aragami off its feet again. Once getting back up on its feet, the Aragami made a run for it but not far.

"Here!" Alisa said over to Aimee as she gave her all of her Team-bullets as they ran toward the Borg Camlann.

"Thanks!" Aimee said back to her as she went for a twirl kick on the Borg Camlann's tail. They had both charged at the Aragami as it fell to its knees again. Finally taking it down as it curled over on its back like a dead spider.

"That was a breeze wasn't it."

"Yes, you did well, Alisa."

"I... I want to thank you for helping me today."

"It was no trouble. To be honest, I think you would've learned better with another actual Gods Eater training you."

"No! You were a superior teacher, I learned so much!"

"You are too kind, Alisa. I think you're ready to fight for yourself with your own power..."

*** The next day ***

"That's all from me. Do you have any questions?" Tsubaki said, briefing all of the First Unit and Guardians with Alisa finally back for the first time.

"Um..." Kota called out, raising his hand. "I wish you'd send Alisa on this mission... I mean, she's been. Um... she's been working pretty hard."

"What do you think?" Tsubaki asked to the team.

"I've seen her training first hand, I believe she is ready."

"... I agree." Sakuya consented along with the others, ringing Tsubaki's attention back to Alisa.

"However, your target for this mission... is the same type as 'that one'... Will you be alright?"

"... I'll go... please let me go!"

"Very well, but don't over do it."

"Yay!" Kota cheered at Tsubaki's approval. "I'll be with you so you'll be fine. Right?"

"..." Alisa just gave Kota a small smile for his support.

*** City of Mercy ***

"A-ah, I'm so sorry!" Alisa apologized as she accidentally cross fired on Kota.

"No worries!" Kota rubbed it off, the Oracle bullet didn't do him any damage. Just lightly bumped him.

The team had taken a left turn in the alleyway where they bumped into three Blaze Fallen Cocoon Maidens as they circled around the church. They had finally found the Vajra as it went into the alleyway they had started from. Slightly annoyed for having to run around in a complete circle. Aimee began to bombard the Vajra with punches as Sakuya and Kota provided back up fire. Alisa had taken care of the Fallen Blaze Zygote that made its way into the alley.

But just as Duke was about to devour the core, the Vajra got up and ran away.

"Don't let it get away!" Kota called out, but it was too late. "We're going after it!"

"It'll come after us if we stay together like this! Disperse for now! Everyone, watch your back!" Sakuya ordered before they all split up into separate directions, leaving Alisa alone to her growing worries.

She was nervous, Aimee could tell. So she decided to do something drastic that if the others found out about it, especially Soma, they would bite her head off for it. Sensing that Alisa was hiding behind the broken Entrance of the church's side room, Aimee decided to put her makeshift plan into effect. Gesturing for Duke to stand down, Aimee had walked out from the corner toward Alisa, knowing that the Vajra was right behind her. Duke became restless and began to fidget in his place, but he trusted his partner and would follow her orders regardless... even as she did nothing about the leaping Vajra behind her. She trusted that Alisa would find the courage to act.

Alisa struggled with her inner fears, her gun wavering with her turmoil. But as she saw Aimee's trusting smile, even as she pointed her God Arc at Aimee, Alisa took action.

"Out of the way!" Alisa cried out, firing at the Vajra just before it was going to take a bite out of Aimee. She was knocked forward from the blast and rolled onto her feet again as the Vajra fell to its death. Kota and Sakuya ran toward the commotion as Alisa fell to her knees and began to cry. She had conquered her own fears. Sakuya fell down on her knees beside her and held Alisa as she cried.

Alisa had done well, even as she held on to Sakuya and cried out like a little girl. She had finally become strong enough to trust in her own power. However... as she continued to cry out, Aimee couldn't help but think the one thought that was running through her mind at her choice of action.

'God... I'm such a dick...'

*** Later that night at the Den ***

"E-excuse me. Ms. Aimee, ma'am..."

"?" Aimee turned toward the sound of the timid voice. "Kanon?"

"I-I heard how you... were helping Alisa training. And how she has made a major improvement because of you..."

"I can't take all of the credit..."

"Please... I was wondering... if you could train me too..."

"..."

"Please... I would really like to work on my aiming. I hope I'm not causing you any trouble."

"Ah... no. There's no trouble at all. I'd be glad to help train you." Aimee finally got over her surprise that God Eaters were actually asking a non Gods Eater to train them. It almost sounded laughable. But Kanon had asked for her help and she shall see to it that Kanon got the best of her.

"Really?!" Kanon happily cheered, making Aimee giggle at her contagious happy mood.

"Hm, sure, it'll be like old times for me." Suddenly Aimee's eyes began to zone out as she thought of times passed. "Just like old times..."


	21. Chapter 21

Adults can be more selfish than children at times. At least for children it's due to innocent ignorance, adults should know better.

The Halt and Death

_"Aimee, do we really have to do this?" Yummie whined as Aimee forced them to climb a great plateau of the United States' Midwest with their bare hands._

_"I don't recall ever signing up for the Marines, Aimee." Ron groaned._

_"Less whining, more climbing, you crybabies."_

_"Ugh, I can feel the burn in my cabs! Did you have to do training like this?!" Yummie moaned out._

_"No, Seth had a different way of training the body. I think you guys would do better with a less... tougher form of training..."_

_"I fear to think what would've happen if we got stuck with Seth." Ron said with a raised eyebrow._

_"I told you guys, I would personally see to your training."_

_"Ugh, but this is soo hard."_

_"You can do it Yummie, I know you guys can do it." Was the last thing Aimee said to them before climbing on ahead to leave them to make it to the top on their own. It took awhile, and Yummie almost slipped from her rock, but through some hard sweat they made it to the top. Aimee was at the top, waiting for them with a open hand to help them up. "See, told you guys you could do it."_

_*** Next Week ***_

_"You guys have all done excellent and have been working hard. The new testing of ranks has been a success." Dr. Nowak announced to them with his intern close by. "I am proud to have had this opportunity to have worked with all of you!"_

_Rank 1: Seth Rothwood_

_Rank 2: Rose Mora-Corazon_

_Rank 3: Charlie Bruno-Levi_

_Rank 4: Aimee Lavinia_

_Rank 5: Kamali Ebele_

_Rank 6: Azuma Mugen_

_Rank 7: Nonna Zharkov_

_Rank 8: Ron Cage_

_Rank 9: Jack Walsh_

_Rank 10: Yummie Song_

_"You all represent your countries and continents with pride! Now, go forth! Go forth as Guardians!"_

_"Yes sir!"_

_*** Weeks later in Russia ***_

_Rose had taken most of the girls out on a recon mission in the back towns of Moscow. Aimee was a regular with Rose on these types of missions, but she wanted Nonna to sharpen her skills and for Yummie to pick up the skill. During this recon mission for Aragami, Rose had taken them to the back entrance of a rundown hotel. By the door was a well cleaned man, that looked slightly out of place on that block. Pale as death but with clean onyx hair._

_"Rose, Aimee, it's good to see you girls again." He greeted to them, kissing them on both cheeks which they returned in same._

_"Matvei, my sister with a cock. It's been far too long." Aimee greeted to him._

_"How's Valentin been treating you?" Rose asked._

_"Oh Darling, you know how men are. Once they think they've won you over they stop trying to be romantic. It's been ages since Valentin has taken me out or even made me a romantic dinner."_

_"That's why I say if you want something you should take the initiative-" Aimee suggested before Yummie interrupted with pushy hands._

_"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute, back up. Are you-"_

_"Gay? Why yes Sweetie I am, and I'm quite happy too." Matvei teased at her, chucking when Yummie took on the adorable flabbergast look._

_"But homosexuality has been outlawed in Mother Russia for over five years." Nonna said with a seriousness that could be interrupted as something else if it wasn't for her national pride._

_"Sweetie, I've done far worse things in my life than simply being gay."_

_"?"_

_"People will continue to be who they are, regardless of what ridiculous law tries to stop them." Rose waved Nonna off like she was concerned over nothing. "Some laws were just not meant to be made."_

_"But... it must be terrible living here the way you are. Haven't you ever thought of leaving Russia?" Yummie asked with sympathy._

_"Never," Matvei gave it to her straight. "This is my home, my pride. I will stay here and take a stand in the hopes it'll make a difference. Nothing is ever accomplished to those who just run away. Besides, I've got far too much good business in the underworld to leave now."_

_"Speaking of running, you've been around the area often, Matvei. What do you got for us?" Aimee inquired, asking for the latest local gossip._

_"People have been moving out of the country side, Sajá has become dangerous than what it was." Matvei whispered as if in fear that the wind would pick up his voice. "Something has been moving through the trees and eating farmers' deer herds that did not resemble a bear. Giant holes have been appearing where things have gone missing, far too big to belong to any rabbit or moles. Whatever it is has gotten the people nervous."_

_"And there's our paydirt." Rose commented. "Come on girls, looks like we're going on a road trip to the fine snow covered countryside of Russia."_

_"You speak as if you turned into exterminators, Darling."_

_"In a way we are. Bye Matvei, maybe me and Seth can go on a double date with you and Valentin next Friday." Rose smile, giving him a farewell pat on the shoulder before getting serious. "Speak of this to no one."_

_"As always." Matvei nodded. "Do svidaniya damy."_

_"Here's a tip, girls." Rose said to them once they were as far away from earshot to Matvei. "Make at least one good friend around each continent. They'll keep tabs on things when you cannot."_

_*** Months later ***_

_"Rose."_

_"Seth, I'm fine."_

_"But-"_

_"The Devil Walker didn't even break skin. It was just a scratch, you didn't have to over react like that."_

_"I did nothing of the sort."_

_"Seth, you cut off its head and impaled it on a makeshift pike." Aimee pointed toward his crime with sarcasm in her voice. Seth and Rose had decided to take Aimee and Azuma out on the field with them through the great center of South America. It was one of those rare occasions where they were able to pull Azuma into a mission without Kamali having to be involved._

_"It deserved every pain for its transaction." Seth hissed with glowing green eyes, but came to a halt when Rose put a gentle hand on his cheek._

_"I know you care, and the gesture was sweet. But you mustn't let your anger control you like that... it'll turn you into something I... never want to see you become..."_

_"..."_

_"Seth, please..."_

_"...(Sigh) Alright." Seth gave in, leaning into her hand while his larger one cupped hers. "I'll try to do better with my temper, Rose. Just for you."_

_"Mh... that's all I can ask for."_

_"You can ask anything of me." Seth seductively said before leaning down to Rose for a kiss._

_"Tst, how improper." Azuma huffed, turning his head away. Both him and Aimee still in burst mode. "You'd think ones of their rank would know better."_

_"Aw, don't be jealous that you're too shy to do the same with Kamali." Aimee teased, earning an angry popup vein to appear on his stone set face, more like his forehead to be precise._

_"Urusai!"_

_*** Two months later ***_

_"Dear God... I've never seen so many Devil Walker in one place before..." Aimee said in horror as Rose and Charlie looked down with her at the herd of 50 Devil Walkers stampeding through the plains of China._

_"This isn't going to be easy..." Rose commented._

_"This might take a while." Charlie stretched out._

_"Well, they aren't going to take care of themselves." Aimee sighed out in acceptance. "Let's go..."_

_"Stand down, we'll take it from here." A commanding voice ordered to them before they could even jumped into the fray._

_"?!" They all turned to the surprise of seeing a Lieutenant in Russia's coats, leading a platoon of various soldiers from the US, Germany, Britain, and Russia. These men were most likely from the UN._

_"You guys are relieved of duty. Let the professionals handle this."_

_"With all due respect sir, these creatures are more than normal guns can handle." Aimee informed the Lieutenant who gruffed at her with a look of disgust. Aimee had to fight back the flinch at that familiar look._

_"Your opinion does not matter. You have been ordered to stand down and you will stand down, Parazit."_

_"!"_

_"Whoa, whoa, that was uncalled for." Charlie growled at him._

_"I can say whatever I want to you, monsters." He smirked as they all flinched in irritation of that name. "Now if you'll excuse me, we've got a mess to cleanup."_

_"Tst, he's sending off those soldiers to needlessly die!" Rose growled in frustration in that man's ignorance and pride. "I detest how we must follow his orders."_

_"We don't have to..." Aimee said suggestively._

_"?!"_

_"What's the worse they can do to us?"_

_"A lot actually." Charlie informed._

_"No, Aimee, no. We can't go against our orders, we're on thin ice with the UN as it is." Rose said sternly._

_"But if we do nothing they are going to die."_

_"..." _

_"We have to help them, Rose."_

_"... I'm sorry, Aimee... But orders are orders... no matter how foolish or horrible they are..."_

_"Rose..."_

_"You will understand in time..."_

_. . ._

_42... three rifle squads from the US and Britain, one machine gun squad from Germany, and one command squad from Russia... 42 soldiers gone. All gone because stupid supposed wise-men in suits wondered if they could get away with just using regular soldiers to take care of the Aragami._

_Aimee walked through the plains once so green, now covered in a massacre. Once the Lieutenant had fallen in battle the orders became invalid so they could join in the fight. But... he didn't fall until many of the others did. The Guardians were forced to watch as they were devoured one by one by the Devil Walkers. Emptying their rounds that did nothing to their Oracle regenerative cells. Such horrible last memories as they watched their comrades fall._

_So there Aimee was, walking mindless into the death field, covered in Aragami blood. Hollow eyes as she looked straight ahead, passed the Aragami corpses and what was left of the soldiers. Her heart couldn't take anymore, she fell on her knees and looked to the sky. The heavens must have been shedding tears at mankind's folly, because the fat gray clouds began to burst as rain began to pour onto the earth._

_She continued to look up, ignoring how the rain wiped away the blood and muddied her dress. She didn't even look as Rose and Charlie came to kneel beside her and place a comforting hand on her back and shoulder._

_"I'm sorry, Aimee... Sometimes the work is just too dirty..."_

_*** Weeks later ***_

_"The UN are still upset at how that mission in China went." Charlie started small talk with Aimee, sitting beside her on the roof with his feet dangling off. She was still devastated by that mission as she curled her legs to her chest and wrapped her arms around them while looking off into the distance._

_"It's their own fault for sending them to die. What has been done has been done. They cannot blame us."_

_"Poor kid, that must have been a lot for you to take in..."_

_"It's not the first massacre I've seen... and it certainly wasn't the only needless one..."_

_"..." Charlie couldn't say anything, wrapping an arm around her shoulders he brought her in for a side hug. "You're going to be okay, kid..."_

_"What are we going to do, Charlie? The UN fears us and sees us as monsters. There's no telling what they'll do if they let their fear get the best of them."_

_"Then we'll just have to make them not fear us."_

_"How?"_

_"Total loyalty." Charlie answered. "If we give them something to trust and follow orders then they'll no longer have to see us as monsters."_

_"I don't know, Charlie. Do you really think people can change like that so suddenly?"_

_"You've gotta have more faith in your own kind. Since when did you give up on humanities potential?"_

_"We're no longer human, Charlie."_

_"Never say that." Charlie said sternly. "Never believe it. No matter what those bastards say outside this wall, never forget that you are still human. Sometimes we're more human than others."_

_"But, Charlie, the world doesn't see us that way."_

_"The world doesn't even know we exist. We have to make a stand on what we are regardless of what others say. Because when we no longer see ourselves as humans, we truly will become monsters."_

_"..."_

_"We're gonna be fine, Aimee." Charlie comforted, rubbing her arm as he looked off into the horizon as well. "We're gonna be fine..."_

_*** A month later ***_

_"What is the meaning of this?!" Dr. Nowak stormed into the observing room in outrage. His intern previously looking on the giant monitor in a panic as a mobile helicopter captured live Rose fighting off a herd of 30 Devil Walkers with her PAR in the mountains of Chile... alone. "Who gave out this damn suicidal order?!"_

_"HQ, doctor." His intern answered._

_"Put them on the line, now!" He wasn't yelling at his intern, but at the stupidity of HQ for sending out only one Guardian to handle such numbers. That number was most likely half the Aragami population in South America, but... this was a death trap for one Guardian alone._

_"Yes sir!"_

_"Seth, Aimee, she's close to your area. Can you get her?"_

_"We're on our way." Seth said to him over their Skype connection to their base from their phone. Each Guardian had a secret app attached to their cellphones that allowed a multiple line connections to the base and other members' phones. Seth wasted no time as he used all the power he could seep from his burst, leaving Aimee in the dust as her burst's power couldn't compare._

_"Hurry guys! Rose, can you last until then?"_

_"I'm fine, Doc. Me and Michelle can handle this." Rose answered on her line. Her PAR, Michelle, was like an onyx lizard with wings. Some would say Michelle was like a small dragon; however, Michelle was the concoction of Savannah Monitor Lizard and Fruit Bat DNA. The fact that she could shoot out Oracle-bullet attacks from her mouth was merely coincidental._

_"HQ is on line 2, Dr. Nowak." His intern informed him as she kept an eye on the fight. Dr. Nowak had picked up the building's phone with a temper returned._

_"You better have a DAMN good reason why you sent one of my Guardians out there alone. It's like some Gladiator Pit out there!" They couldn't hear what was being said on the other line, but whatever it was really pissed Dr. Nowak off. "That is the stupidest reasoning I've ever heard! Why didn't you call for the others to meet up and wait for their arrival?! ... No, I will not calm down, you're endangering my Guardian! They're my responsibility, practically my kids! I'd be damn if I'd let them get hurt because of your stupidity! ... Fuck your funding, this is human life we are talking about here!"_

_"I'm touched that you care so much Dr. Nowak. But really, I'm okay. Me and Michelle can handle this." And it appeared that Rose was right, she was holding the Devil Walker's numbers back just fine with her Fencing style of fighting. She wouldn't even need back up, it would just take longer on her own. But then the other line began to talk again, what the other line had to say brought Dr. Nowak into a panic._

_"What? Have you lost your minds? ... You can't do that, she's still out there! No don't! It won't do any damage anyway, the Oracle Cells will just regenerate, it's pointless! Don't you dare hang up on me! Hey-"_

_"Doctor, what is it?" Aimee asked._

_"Those crazy fools at HQ are going to clean out the area. They're going to bomb the Aragami!"_

_"!" Somehow Seth and Aimee had picked up their pace._

_"Get out of there Rose! The place is about to blow!"_

_"No can do, Doc, I'm afraid... the Devil Walkers have closed all my exits. It'll take awhile for me to fight my way out..."_

_"Get her out of there, guys!"_

_"No! Stay back!"_

_"Like hell if we're leaving you behind, Rose." Seth growled into their communicator at her._

_"Seth, it's okay... our kind was meant to face and be ready for death on the battlefield when the time arrived."_

_"Not like this. Not this way! Not if I can help it!"_

_"Seth... I'm so glad that I've met you. But it looks like... my time is over."_

_"Rose-"_

_"Go, Michelle, you can still get out of here." But Michelle just shook her head and flew to rest on Rose's shoulder as her final decision. "You'll... come with me? ... Thank you..."_

_"Don't you dare give up on me, Rose. You're going to make it!"_

_"Seth... let's meet again in another life. I promise when we find each other... I will never leave you again..."_

_"What about now, dammit! I need you with me, now!"_

_"I'm sorry my love, it looks like you'll have to settle for me being in your heart from now on..."_

_"That's not the same! That's nothing compared to the real you!"_

_"Sorry Seth..."_

_"NO!" Seth and Aimee had finally made it to Rose's location. But... she was one mountain peak away from them. And the bombs had just been dropped... "ROSE!"_

_"Farewell, Seth... and thank you... for loving me..." Was the last thing she said before the blast wave consumed her along with Michelle and the remaining Devil Walkers._

_"Rose..." Aimee weakly whimpered as the warm wind from the blast had finally reached them. To the right of her, Seth had silently fell to his knees. "Seth...?"_

_"..." His eyes never looked away from the blast of the bombs, and where Rose once stood._

_"Seth?"_

_"..." Pure grief had turned him stone cold._

_"Seth?!"_

_"..." It was in that moment that Aimee had saw it. She had seen it with her own eyes as it happened, she remembered seeing it in his eyes. In that moment, Seth... had lost his soul..._

"NAHH!" Aimee's eyes had shot opened wide awake. Sitting upright from her seat on the Entrance's lounge couch, making the others flinch back in a fright. The First Unit and Guardians had been summoned early to the Entrance for an announcement by Tsubaki. Aimee had fallen asleep while waiting for Tsubaki to show up. That late night mission with Kanon in the Tranquil Temple had really tired her out. But that also brought on the dreams.

"!" Soma's heart nearly stopped at the fear that coated her voice as she cried out. She had even automatically went into a burst subconsciously.

"Whoa, you okay there, Aimee?" Kota asked, her shout had woken him up.

"Barry! Barry..." Aimee sighed as she calmed herself back to normal. "Akana mukav tut le Devlesa..."

"Uh..."

"Is Tsubaki here yet?" Aimee spoke again, not in Romani, trying to draw attention away from her.

"Good, I see you're all here." Like speaking of the devil, Tsubaki came in. "Administration officially announced new appointments today. When the current mission has been cleared, you will be appointed captain of the First Unit, Preservation Bureau, Aimee Lavinia."

"!"

"From now on you're leader of this unit. I'm counting on you."

"..." Aimee remained silent and lowered her head.

"Whoa, you got a promotion! And it's a huge promotion!" Kota cheered for her in excitement, not catching the sour mood Aimee had fallen into. "What do they call these things? Supplanting ones Superior?!"

"Actually, that's a form of betrayal." Alisa corrected. "Once again... I'm looking forward to working with you... Isn't that right, Sakuya?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, right. Aimee? You okay?"

"... Heh heh... HA hahaha! Is this some kind of joke?!"

"?!"

"The Fenrir Bureau has no right making such appointments since I am only an affiliate. Besides, I already have a team I have to lead, find someone else who is actually a Gods Eater."

"The decision has already been made, once you've completed this mission it'll be set in stone. You should be excited for all the power befitted with this position."

"Why would I? I have no need for it, nor does it hold any appeal to me. I already have the responsibility of looking after one team I don't think I have the right to take care of another."

"Aimee you have already gain the trust and favor of most of the Den. You already have people who depend on you, what harm is in adding a few more?"

"... Tst, way to play with my conscious, Tsubaki." Aimee tsk out with a swing of her head before she turned back to Tsubaki. "Very well, I'll see to it that this mission is done. But I want to have a talk with Director Johannes about this 'promotion.'"

"Very well... Just come back alive. You all have to come back alive. Aimee, Alisa, Kota, Soma, move out!"

"Yes ma'am!"

*** Author's Note ***

Urusai- a polite way of saying 'shut up' in Japanese, means 'you are loud.'

Damy- Russian for ladies.

Barry- Romani for good, also similar to Scots.

Akana mukav tut le Devlesa- Romani for 'I now leave you to God. It's more of a Lovara funeral comment

For the ending half of the flashback, I was listening to Vogel im Käfig from Attack on Titan. It was such a sad song, and brought the chapter to life.


	22. Chapter 22

The healing process of a pained heart can be too slow of a process for our liking at times.

The Fall of the Guardians

"Uh, Aimee... are you sure you don't wanna become Leader?" Kota asked as the group took a left from the Sunken Grid's Starting Point to look for the Aragami.

"Yes, I'm sure, Kota."

"But, why?"

"Because there are others more qualified for the job."

"But! You're a great boss! You're good with training others, you're good with people, you even help others with their problems."

"Merely the showings of a good peer. It'll take more than that to make a good leader. Besides, it would be laughable if a Guardian tried to lead a group of God Eaters. None of them would respect my authority."

"I respect your authority."

"As a peer, which is most appreciated, but not as a leader."

"Well then, what's your definition of a good leader?"

"..."

"Aimee."

"... A good commander can lead an army without his army knowing that he's leading them. A good leader can lead their team without giving a single order."

"Aimee..." Alisa pouted out in pity when a roar from Sector I interrupted their conversation.

"There's the Zygote. Alisa, Kota, do your thing." Aimee instructed, making them release a bombardment of Oracle-bullets. Aimee had to attack from the side to avoid the shots while Soma was trying to come from the front with them. "Soma, you should sit this one out."

"I thought we didn't respect your authority?" Soma teased, stopping in place while he waited for Alisa and Kota to take the Zygote down and for Aimee to finish it off.

"Oh ha ha." Aimee mocked sarcastically as she delivered down the finial punch that Duke followed up by extracting the core. "There should be another one around here, let's keep moving."

"No, we should stay."

"Oh?"

"The Aragami... is around here..." Soma vaguely explained.

"Oh, then I guess we'll wait for it to come to us." Aimee instantly complied, sitting on the lowest platform as she waited. Soma was a little surprised that she would trust his advice instantly, a little touched by it but still surprised. They didn't have to wait long for the target to come into the Grid from the opening to the forest in Sector I with two Zygotes. The Aragami Fenrir had christened as a Sariel was awe striking to Aimee. "My God... it's beautiful. It's like looking at an African Euphaedra Edwardsi Butterfly..."

"Aimee!" Soma warned for her to get her head in the game but it came too late.

"Uah!" She cried out as the Sariel charged her to the ground. "And like that, my awe struck is gone. Let's knocked them from the sky!"

The guys went to distract the Sariel; the girls went to take care of the Zygotes. They were able to take down one while avoiding the Sariel's lasers. But the other Zygote got away.

"Aimee!" Alisa called out to warn that it was getting away.

"Let it run," Aimee instructed. Halting Alisa from chasing after it. "We'll bump into it again later. Let's focus on the bigger target."

"Right!"

The girls charged after the Sariel to help the boys. Jumping in the air, Aimee was able to round kick high enough to break the Sariel's leg armor. It did not seem to like the blow that much, curling into itself the Sariel let out a wall of Divine Oracles that kept the others from getting close. But that didn't stop Kota from keep on firing. While the wall was still up the last Zygote had floated its way back. Giving Alisa the chance to shoot it and Aimee to punch it from getting away.

"See, told you we'd bump into it eventually." They had both knocked down the Zygote at the same time Kota was able to shoot the Sariel out of the sky. The wall came down with it as it fell on its knees. Alisa went to go after the downed Sariel with Kota and Soma, while Aimee finished off the Zygote and left Duke to extract the core.

Once it got in the air again, it tried to make a run for it. But Aimee entwined fists downward punched it onto its stomach. Where she and Kota continued to attack it while Alisa and Soma went in for a Devouring bite. It got up to run again, knocking Aimee down in the process as it made its way to some salvaging items close by to the right of the platforms.

"Aimee, take this!" Alisa shouted, shooting Aimee all of her Team-bullets.

"Thanks!" Aimee cried out as she jumped into a burst in the air. Platinum hair wildly flying around her as she came down on the Sariel with a storm of punches with a red glow in her eyes. The Sariel went down for good with one hard punch that knocked it out of the sky. "Mission cleared, boy that was such a rush!"

"Are you okay, Aimee?" Kota asked, noticing the cricket leg on steroids in one of her legs.

"I'm fine, I just need to crash from my Burst High." She insisted, walking off with stiff legs. "Let's head back to the Den."

"And who said you couldn't make a good leader?"

"Bite me, Soma."

*** Later at the Director's Office ***

"So, you completed your mission without a hitch, as expected." Director Johannes pointed out as he sat at his desk across from Aimee. Duke rested on the floor by her legs as he waited for her to finish what she needed to get done. "First, let me commend you... Congratulations on becoming First Unit Leader."

"About that, sir... I must insist that you find someone more qualified for the job."

"Oh? And who might you think would fit the job better?"

"Well, for one thing, someone who is actually a Gods Eater. Someone who has been in the game longer."

"..."

"Recently, been in the game longer 'recently'."

"I really don't see the problem trusting you with my strongest team. I believe you'll do a great job with them, as you have shown so far in your teamwork."

"Honestly, sir. Sakuya would make a more fitting replacement than I."

"Sakuya is too emotional. And leads more with her heart than with rationality, that kind of thinking could get someone killed."

"Tst, fine. What about Soma?"

"Hmph," the Director couldn't help but grin at the notion. "Soma isn't much of a... team player. But I hear he's been getting better... with some outside influence."

"..." Aimee had to look her eyes away as she saw his raised eyebrow of association.

"Alisa has hardly had time to recover or has been on the field long enough to justify her as leader material. Besides, she's shown her gold as an amazing backup support."

"True. But what about Kot-... he still has a little ways to go."

"Hm, indeed. So by elimination, you are the perfect candidate for Unit leader."

"Ugh, I don't want the title." Aimee whined out, slightly rolling her head with her eyes like a child.

"You've already got one team to command, what's the trouble with adding one more?"

"A lot, actually..."

"I don't think you completely understand the enhanced privileges you receive once becoming a Fenrir Unit Leader..."

"Don't really care for them."

"As Leader, you will be given your own private room..."

"I rather like sharing a bathroom with my teammate, let's me know they're close when I need them." The bathrooms worked like Dorm rooms. One toilet connected to two rooms of residents of the same gender. Leaders apparently were given their own private restroom; however, everybody of the same gender had to share the Community Showers. One for the boys and one for the girls on each residential floor.

"You'll be given the previous leader's room. Once you login to the Terminal you'll find data that was previously off-limits to you..."

"A move I don't need, and a responsibility I could do without."

"We have decided to share this disclosed information with you... Please try to understand what this means. Right... this is our... this is Fenrir's sign of trust. I hope that you won't end up betraying that trust."

"More secrets I have to keep. Pfft, I thought I was done with that?"

"Next, we'll discuss your duties. In addition to your regular duties... I'm going to have you take over Lindow's Special Missions."

"Special?!" That got Aimee attention. Suddenly the idea of becoming a Fenrir Unit Leader was starting to sound more appealing right now. "Like what? Will I get to take on more stronger and exotic Aragami?!"

"Hm," The Director grinned to himself, he had gotten her where he wanted her. "I'll give you more detailed instructions later. I'm sure you're exhausted by the events of the day."

"Wha? Aw come on! Don't leave me hanging when it was just starting to get good."

"Hmph, good work. I'll be counting on you."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, fine. I'll take the job." Aimee pouted with a waving hand. Making Duke get back up on his feet when she went to go out the door. "Ugh, this had better be worth it."

_*** Later that night in a dream ***_

_Seth had not been doing too well at the lost of Rose. He had become more of a zombie, and the others had noticed he had ceased with interactions. He wouldn't talk to them during missions and would immediately returned to his room afterwards._

_They had tried everything to get him out of his rut again. But nothing ever worked, not even Jen's comforting presence. So it came as a surprise that after months of silence, Seth had finally spoke just soon after he and Aimee completed a mission._

_"Are we even worth protecting?" _

_"?!" Aimee had been more surprise that he had finally spoke that she failed to notice the dark implications that were soon to come from that simple question._

_ It had come out more rhetorical than an actual question. He didn't even look at her as he asked it, he kept his eyes on the dead Devil Walker that laid below his feet. She honestly thought he started to grow a guilty conscious from all the Aragami he had killed. Grief sometimes would lead you down two extreme roads. One was either an urge to seek vengeance, in this case would lead to multiple questionable targets. Or the other would lead someone into a guilt as if it was their fault the person died, and would lead people to better themselves or the world around them so that it would never happen again._

_Aimee wished she had paid attention to his question. She wished she had noticed the changes. Maybe then, things could've been different. But then again... it wouldn't make a difference anyway. The Seth they knew was long gone... the moment Rose perished._

_*** A month later ***_

_A bashing noise had woken up Aimee from her sleep. It was three in the morning, it was far too early for anything to be going on. Following the noise, it had led her to one of the second floor's monitor rooms. Opening the door she was greeted by a deranged Seth bashing the monitor's keypad beyond fixable. The screen had been smashed and crack, destroying whatever evidence that might possibly explain Seth's actions. He didn't even stop bashing the keypad with his sword to acknowledge Aimee when she entered the room._

_"Seth what are you doing?!"_

_"..." He only stopped at the sound of her voice, resting his blade on the destroyed keyboard. Shaking in his shoulders as he breathed out heavily with rage. "We aren't worth it. No! I'm not like them! I'm not like them!"_

_"Seth, please stop!" Aimee begged to him as he started bashing the keyboard again. He did stop but his rage did nothing to simmer down._

_"These filthy creatures have been choking and corroding this world for far too long. It's time that this world be purged..."_

_"..." How could she have been so in denial; how could she be so foolish to believe that... he was talking about the Aragami..._

_*** Two days later ***_

_"Seth! What have you done?!" Charlie had asked in appall and shock at what he was seeing._

_Seth had left the base two nights ago, and it had taken Aimee and Charlie awhile to track him down. He had taken Jen with him, making it easier for Isabela to sniff out. Charlie's PAR, Isabela, was like a blue chibi potbelly pig with tusk. She was a beauty and a cutie, thus worthy for the name in Charlie's logic. She didn't fight much, but was known to charge hard on the Aragami, knocking them off their feet and their sense out of them. However, she had a great nose that was even better than Duke's, which lead them to a burned down city in Poland._

_Houses set ablaze, residents killed. All of which's blood had coated his blade. A bloodied lust had consumed his once empty eyes. And he mercilessly tossed the man still impaled on his blade to the side without a care that he had killed countless people._

_"I'm simply cleaning out the trash of this world." Seth nonchalantly answered._

_"Trash?! These are human beings you're talking about!"_

_"Hmph, a pestilence none the less." Seth hissed out in disgust before bringing a hand to his forehead. "Disgusting little creatures driven only by their greed for power and their lust for violence. Selfish and weak they feed on the strong to survive. Creation should have wiped out these vile things a long time ago!"_

_"Seth... are you even listen to yourself?" Aimee asked in sadness at the lost of her old friend's sanity. Seth was like an older brother to her, he helped mold her to be the strong person she was today. She hated to see him like this, so broken, so... hateful._

_"Think of what you're saying! You're human as well!"_

_"No... I am not human. We are something greater than humanity... why should we be leashed by such a weak corrupted species?"_

_"We are needed, Seth. We have to fight for those who cannot. And you need to face for your actions."_

_"Aimee, do you think you could fight for the men that killed your caravan if you had the power then?"_

_"?!" She had to flinch at the memory._

_"Aimee, do you think you could let go of your rage?"_

_"No, Seth. I am weak." She honestly admitted, turning her head away from him as she answered. But turned back as she continued on. "But... I would never bring innocent people into my vengeance."_

_"All humans are guilty by association, whether directly or indirectly. All of mankind are linked to the same sins by their birth in the species, that the rest of the creatures of the world are forced to pay for."_

_"Seth, you've gone insane."_

_"I see more clearer than I ever have. Mankind will pay for what they did to Rose."_

_"Rose was part of the human race too, Seth!" Charlie shouted at him, making Seth boil with rage._

_"Don't you dare soil her memory like that, you wretch! Either you join me as brothers or die with the rest of the pathetic humans."_

_"Have you gone mad? We'll never join your mad quest for genocide!" Charlie and Aimee were caught off guard when Seth practically warped to Charlie's side and impaled him with his blade. "!"_

_"Then die with the humans you so crave to be." He harshly spoke, slicing his blade to the side to cut Charlie open._

_"CHARLIE!" Aimee cried out as she went to catch him before he crashed onto the ground. His double swords falling out of his hands to land on each side of his body. Aimee held him close as she tried to stop the bleeding with her other hand. Angered by his actions toward her partner, Isabela charged at Seth with the rare attempt to impale him with her tusk. But she pose no challenge as well as he impaled her downward with his sword and tossed her injured body to the side. "WHY?! Why would you do this?!"_

_"He would only get in my way. Now will you come with me, Aimee?"_

_"No, you traitor! You're an animal!"_

_"Are you joking? You're lotting with them? You're not even human anymore."_

_"I'm more human than you." Aimee hissed venomously at him._

_"Hmph, perhaps you are..." Leaving Aimee with a bleeding Charlie, he walked away from them and the burning village... into the darkness. Letting him go, Aimee put all her attention into making the bleeding stop on Charlie._

_"Charlie, stay awake for me! O God, why hasn't the blood stop leaking?!"_

_"Aimee... is Isabela okay?" Charlie coughed out. Aimee slightly turned her head for a second to see that Isabela still laid on the ground injured. Unconscious but for the most part okay, she was doing better than Charlie was doing. At least she was only impaled and not sideways slashed open along with it._

_"She's fine, try not to talk. I don't understand! Why isn't your wound regenerating?! It should be closing by now!"_

_"Our weapons halt the regenerating process of Oracle Cells... you know that by now..."_

_"!"_

_"Looks like the clock's stopping for me..."_

_"No, don't you give me that! Stay with me, don't you dare give up on me!"_

_"It's no use, kid, I'll bleed out before you even get me to a medic... let alone Nonna..."_

_"I told you not to give up on me!"_

_"It's already getting dark, Aimee..."_

_"It's night time!"_

_"Yeah, well, it's still getting cold..."_

_"Charlie..."_

_"You'll be alright."_

_"Charlie?"_

_"You can make it... You can make it, kid..."_

_"Did you just make an 'All Dogs go to Heaven' reference? This is hardly the time for that, Charlie."_

_"..."_

_"Charlie? Charlie?!" She had taken her blooded hand from his wound to cup his cheek and lift up his head. But once she let go his head limply fell back down... he had closed his eyes when she wasn't paying attention. His breath had come to a halt... "Oh no... No!"_

_She held him close as she began to cry, she was all alone in this bloodbath. Her friend still warm in her hand, most likely would stay warm for awhile due to the fires. Something made her look up toward the direction Seth had left, the little girl inside her was subconsciously hoping that her big brother would come back. But she didn't want him to come back... he had killed her other brother. He was dead to her in her eyes. Looking to the direction he had gone, she had filled with a rage and had shouted him a message that she'd hoped he received._

_"SETH! IF IT'S THE LAST THING I DO I'LL... I'll get you for this!"_

_*** Three weeks later ***_

_So there they were, facing off each other once again. Seth had grown quite a reputation for himself since they last met. He had found his way over to the United States, sneaking over on a trading ship Carrier, and created a National bloodbath in the UN embassy in New York City. National politics tried to keep it from the press. But it was hard to do when he did it in the middle of a conference and massacred his way out of the city. He had started to be known across the world as the Platinum Butcher. _

_And he continued his rampage unhindered by the local reinforcements due to his Oracle enhanced abilities across North America. All the way to the Midwest where the Guardians had cornered him by the many canyons and great pits of the Midwest desserts. Not wasting time for talking, they confronted him head on. None of them stood a chance to his enhance power and skill. All laid on the dry dirt ground tired, bruised, and cut by his ability. All except Aimee, who had one-on-one experience with his skill and style. However, that didn't save her from all the cuts and bruises as hard slices bleed down her left arm and cheek. She caught her breath as they stared each other down. One with hate, while the other... indifference._

_"You were a Guardian, Seth! How could you succumb to this Madness?!"_

_"There is no madness in this, I am only completing what fate had intended to be done."_

_"You killed your own brethren. You killed your own comrade!"_

_"I have forsaken humanity to become one with the Aragami. They will lead this planet to a purging that will lead to paradise. A promise land where no humans can taint it."_

_"Then you're no different than the monsters we fought so long together against. And I will stop you."_

_"(Chuckle!) How? I have seen the way you fight, I know your every move!"_

_"Yes... which is why I have to surprise you."_

_"!"_

_BANG_

_She had shot him through the heart. She knew she couldn't beat him with her skill alone, he knew her too well. She would have to do something he'd lease expect... She pulled out a pistol she had hidden under her platinum hair in the back of her corset. She had experience with her knives to not have to worry about her aim._

_The trick had work, he had stumbled back by the shock of the shot. Falling into an open pit that seemed bottomless, more of a crack in the earth really. Loyal even in his madness, Jen jumped down in after her partner._

_"Jen..." Aimee's will began to shake. "May you both find peace. Putrav lesko drom angle leste te na inkrav les mai but palpale mura brigasa..."  
><em>

_She began to cry, tossing the pistol out of her hand as if it was dirty and burned her. Falling to her knees she began to puke._

_It's over... it was finally over. She prayed to God that he was still human enough for the bullet to kill him. If not from that... the fall would._

"!" Aimee had woken in a cold sweat and fear, shaking in her new bed. She didn't have much so she needn't ask for help carrying her things. She just stuffed them in her pack again and moved down to her new assigned room, leaving Lindow's room mostly intact the way it was. Apparently not only did leaders get their own private rooms, but veterans that served for years as well.

But the new place was strange to her, she felt so cold and so alone. Duke seemed to be deep asleep to feel her stress. Like a scared child she ran out of her room to the closest comfort for warmth. Luckily, Soma was now closer to her making it a short run next door. With jittering fingers she worked to opening the lock and immediately ran into his arms once the door was open, barely remembering to shut the door behind her.

"What the?!" Soma was shocked awake by the strange presence in his bed, gripping him like an anchor. He almost punched the crap out of the intruder in his sleepy haze when he suddenly realized it was her. "Aimee? What the hell are you doing here? It's late."

"I know, but... I just needed someone to hold."

"Then cuddle with Duke, why did you come to me? Go back to your room, Aimee."

"But-"

"I'm too tired for this, Aimee."

"Please..."

"?" He could feel her shaking.

"I had a really bad dream... I could really use a hug right now..."

"Tst, fine..." Soma said, relaxing into her hold. "You know this makes you look like a big kid."

"I know... I don't care..."

"Hmph, clingy brat."

"Call me what you want. That doesn't change the fact that you're really warm."

"Go to sleep already, will you."

*** The next afternoon ***

"Well, how are you doing?" Tsubaki asked, catching Aimee while she waited for the elevator. She could noticed the tired look in Aimee's eyes, memories that haunted the back of her mind. "Right, you don't have to tell me."

"..." Aimee did nothing to halt her as Tsubaki moved a gentle hand to cup her cheek.

"I can tell by looking at your face. You've got that look of panic... just like Lindow had when he first became a leader."

"?" Did she really look that bad? The night must have been rougher on her than she thought.

"First thing you need to do is take a deep breath... no one is expecting you to do everything on your own. Use your comrades; use yourself... that's the key to breeding trust. I'm sure that you are a fine leader, I know you can handle a little more on your team."

"Thank you, Tusbaki..." Tsubaki nodded at her before getting back to her tougher exterior.

"Now get back to work! I'll be counting on you."

"Yes ma'am." Aimee nodded to her with a grin. Suddenly she was feeling much better now.

*** Author's Notes ***

Putrav lesko drom angle leste te na inkrav les mai but palpale mura brigasa - it's an old Romani phrase. It means: I open his way in the new life again and release him from the fetters of my sorrow.


	23. Chapter 23

Pain can make a person lash out on others at times. Sometimes you just have to slow down for a moment before you speak.

Tension Among the Team

*** Tranquil Temple ***

"So what made you change your mind about the promotion, Aimee?" Kota asked, making idol talk while they waited for Soma to show up.

"The Director made an offer I couldn't possibly refuse."

"Ooh, I hope it was for better food rations. I don't know, wouldn't you say the rations are getting lamer and lamer by the day? I know we can't afford to be picky, but really... That ration pudding for instance... tasted so unhealthy, for God's sake. It was so lumpy and sweet, it almost made me puke-"

However they were both interrupted from their conversation when Soma finally showed up to the Starting Point.

"Hey! Soma!" Kota called over to him. "I was thinking we should throw a party for our new leader on our next day off- you in?"

"No thanks," he declined brushing pass them. Slightly irritated by how easily Aimee got along with Kota. Aimee found it strange, she couldn't recall him ever being reverse to partying.

"Oh come on, don't be that way..." Kota called out to him, thinking that he had changed his mind when he stopped at the edge of the Starting Point.

"Go ahead and have your little love fest... just leave me out of this."

"Wha? Soma wait!" But he didn't wait for her, he had jumped off the Starting Point to start the mission without them. Angered by his antisocial attitude, Kota had walked over to the edge to shout at him.

"Jeez, don't act so high-and-mighty because you're a better fighter! And don't be so arrogant after showing up late! That's why you don't have any friends! Loser!"

"HEY!" She knew Kota knew better than that.

"Jeez! I'm just trying to... that guy is too antisocial...!"

"My first day on the job and there's already fighting in the ranks. Are you guys going to make this hard for me?"

"Sorry, man." Kota apologize before looking at the time. "Whoops, time for us to head out. Let's go."

"Yeah, let's move before Soma gets into trouble."

They had taken the turn to the right and bumped into a Fallen Ogretail. Seems like Soma had run in with the same problem, but was done and gone. Up the stairs by the time they finished theirs. Noticing on the middle level that the Gboro was eating salvage items at the Gong tower. Leaving Soma be for now, they focused their attention on one of their target Aragamis. Kota fired high while Aimee and Duke attacked the fins. Kota had the Gboro's back fin torn off and it on its belly before Aimee had kicked off its torso armor. It was stronger than their usual Gboro, but it went down easy enough. Leaving Duke to feast on the aftermath.

On the tracker, they saw that Soma had already finish taking out their Chi-You target by the main temple. But he had yet to return back to them.

"What's his holdup?" Kota inquired.

"Do you think he might have bumped into some trouble?"

"Maybe... come on, let's check it out."

"Yes."

They had made their way up the stairs toward the main temple when they heard Soma shout 'I know you're there.' Rushing to see what the fuss was about, Aimee and Kota ran into the temple. Not expecting for Soma to suddenly turn and point his Buster Blade on them in surprise, making them lightly flinch with their guard up.

"H-hey hold up! It's only me!" Kota called out to him in surrender.

"Huh, so it's YOU..." Soma sarcastically mocked as he pulled his God Arc away to rest on his shoulder.

"Hey, thanks a lot!" Kota huffed at his remark. "I came out here looking for you since you never came back to base!"

"Who asked you to look for me? I'm gonna do whatever the hell I want." Aimee couldn't tell if that was his Romani pride talking from somewhere deep inside him, or just his stubborn attitude.

"But we're comrades from the same unit! Don't be so egocentric!"

"(Snort) Comrades, huh? If you're talking about the kind of comrades who can't even survive a little jab; who you can't trust to have your back... It's better not to have them at all."

"Soma!"

"!" Soma was surprised at how Aimee barked his name with anger.

"Lashav."

"?!" Did she... did she just shame him? How did he even know that? Ugh, those memories were starting to affect him.

"Why you... Okay then! You're so special! You're incredible!" Kota mocked sarcastically in anger, turning his head away from Soma. "You think you're such a hot-shot... Suit yourself! I'm heading back, without you!"

"Please don't go. Kota wait! Ugh, it's like I'm dealing with children!" Aimee groaned out, looking to the sky with both hands on her head when she felt Soma's fingers playing with a lock of her wavy hair. "Well what are you waiting for, go get him and makeup with him."

"Hmph, what's the point?"

"?"

"You shouldn't have anything to do with a monster like me."

"Ugh, we've already been over this, Soma. You're not a monster. And even if you were you're a terrible one at that, because you don't scare me one bit."

"I'm serious." Soma growled at her playful banter.

"Fine." She then turn to face him directly, with a serious look on her face. "Then tell me would you kill to save a life?"

"What?" He was taken aback by her question and how close she was getting.

"Tell me would you kill to prove that you're right?"

"Wha- No!"

"Hmph," she smiled up at him. "Then you're not a monster. You've still got a long ways to go..."

"You speak as if you know the definition of a monster by experience."

"Who knows..." She said, taking his hand and starting to lead him out to the Starting Point. "Maybe I've lived so long with people calling me a monster that I know when I see a monster or not..."

"..."

*** Days later ***

Aimee had found herself again in Director Johannes's office, receiving praise for a job well done so far.

"Your achievements of late have been quite spectacular. I'd never imagine that you'd adapt your leadership qualities in such a short amount of time... is it some short of Guardian thing?"

"It runs in the blood, sir."

"Now then... you may be aware of this, but the Aegis Project is just about to enter its final stage."

"Aegis Project?" She had read about it on NORN but never really understood how it was going to work.

"The Ark Project will protect mankind from the Aragami, and guide us to a new future..."

"?" She had heard something like this before, and it wasn't a good sign.

"It will be complete soon. Certainly a cause for a celebration. We're almost there. I'd like for you to help me a bit longer."

"I'll try to the best of my known ability, I guess. But don't expect much from me."

"Hm," he slightly grin at her answer. But suddenly paused when he heard his door buzzard go off. "I'm expecting someone now- forgive me. Let's continue this another day."

"Fine..."

"At any rate, I'm expecting lofter achievements from you and your unit. That is all. You're dismissed."

"Later then." Aimee gave him a back wave as she left his office. Just as she had closed his office door she had bumped into Dr. Sakaki in the hallway.

Her and the Guardians had gotten to know him through his history sessions with them where he would discuss with them the histories with holes that they might possibly where able to fill in. Some of it was good, others would cause tension in the room like ringing out dirty laundry. But they had grown to like Dr. Sakaki and his quirks. Yes sometimes his actions seemed to have a motive behind them, but they had yet to find anything criminating to not trust him.

"Hey Dr. Sakaki." Aimee greeted to him as she and Duke passed him in the hall.

"Hello Aimee, good to see you, Duke. Tell me, are you the type of person who has a great deal of curiosity?"

"?" But he said nothing else as he walked into the Director's office... leaving behind a disk by her feet. Picking it up she examined the small disk in her hand. For something so little, it felt like it held a heavy burden in her hand. He asked if she was a curious person, he was about to find out.

*** Author's Notes ***

Lashav- literally the Romani word for shame.


	24. Chapter 24

Some walls are just too terrifying to break down. They've been around for so long you don't know what you'll do without them.

Soma's Secret

_"Just as we thought, embedding the Bias Factor into the adult organism would be difficult." Said the woman in the meeting room with Dr. Sakaki and Director Johannes when they were years younger. She wore a lab coat which would mean she was a Doctor as well. Aside from her glasses, long straight raven hair, or her brown eyes she looked awfully a lot like Soma..._

_"Even then, it looks like it would be hard to induce apoptosis." Dr. Sakaki explained with her. "Our best bet is to do it in the prenatal state. We've had success with rats at least."_

_"Either way, it's high time we conducted a clinical test on a human." Director Johannes insisted. _

_"I'm not rejecting that kind of approach- taking something we don't understand in principal and using it blindly... But we just started understanding what makes the P73 Bias Factor tick. I'm not sure we're ready to do this yet."_

_"How can we just sit back and wait, when nearly 10,000 people a day are being devour by the Aragami?" The woman began to contemplate something in her mind, resting her hand on her forehead as Dr. Sakaki and Johannes continued to talk._

_"Are you saying that you're going to test it on yourself, like Pettenkofer?"_

_"Yes... if it proves feasible I'll test it on myself!"_

_"Johanness..." The woman finally spoke again, interrupting the guys heated discussion. "Let's embed it into my... into our baby."_

_"!"_

_So she was Soma's mother, Aimee thought as much..._

_"Have you lost your mind?" Johannes asked in shock. "I know that this is your project, but... not our child..."_

_"It's a bridge that somebody has to cross. So why not us?"_

_"But..."_

_"It's feasible..." Dr. Sakaki pointed out as a scientist, but as a human being... "but I can't agree about it."_

_"I have no intention of letting our future children see a world on the brink of destruction." The woman insisted._

_"..." Johannes remain silent as he contemplated the mother-of-his-child's choice. It was a difficult choice, but it was her choice and he would stand by her for the sake of their future children. "You have my support."_

_"Both parents approve, huh?" Dr. Sakaki grimly stated. "Then there's no room for discussion is there?"_

_"..."_

_"In that case, I'm taking myself off this project. Our methodology is too much at odds!"_

_"Sakaki..." the woman said sadly._

_"I'll always be a Stargazer... I'm someone who observes the stars. I'm not going to interfere with your crucial decision." Dr. Sakaki explained. "I'm going to continue my Bias Factor research my own way. I'm sure our paths will cross again. Excuse me... goodbye..."_

_The video ended and started again months later in a hospital room, with the woman lying on a sickbed almost ready for labor. She had replaced her lab coat for a hospital gown as the mother to be glowed with anticipation._

_"How are you feeling?" Johannes being the one holding the camera asked her. _

_"Fine... and physically well too. I can't wait for your birth." She said warmly down to her growing belly as she gently rubbed it before looking back up at Johannes. "Where's Sakaki?"_

_"He sent you a good luck charm for a safe delivery. But he's still unreachable."_

_"I see..." She said sadly. "So he's still angry with us for pushing ahead with the project."_

_"Don't think about that now." Johannes said soothingly to her. "It's not good for you."_

_"I want you to hold on to that charm for me. Good luck tomorrow..." She warmly smiled at him. Then the video stopped again. _

'... So that's why Soma called himself a monster.' Aimee thought to herself as she watched the end of the disc Dr. Sakaki had supposedly dropped for her. She had an idea that Soma was given a higher dosage sample of Bias Factor than the Guardians, but never had the evidence to prove it until now.

It was a hard choice to make, but she knew that his parents were under the impression that they were doing the right thing. But... Soma...

"Hey, the soda machine spat out an extra can, I thought you might want it."

"Soma!" Aimee gasped in startle at Soma's sudden appearance in her room.

"?" He titled his head in curiosity as he noticed that she was watching a video on her Terminal. Amused by her deer-caught-in-the-headlights look he decided to get her back for last time as he smirked. "What? Did I catch you in the middle of your porn?"

"Pfft, if only, that would be funny." Aimee laughed off. "But no, it's just a disc Dr. Sakaki dropped."

"What?" Soma said with a sudden coldness that was poorly hiding the fear and panic in his eyes. If Dr. Sakaki was involved it usually meant 'no good' for him. And just Aimee's luck, the disc that was supposedly over started up again.

_Johannes was sitting at his new desk in his office at the Far East Branch._

_"Hello, Paylor. It's been a long time." Johannes said into the camera. "As you know, following that appalling incident, the Managarm Project was, for all intents and purposes, suspended."_

"!" Soma was shocked at the mention of that damnable project, while Aimee was still a little confused.

"?"

"The hell with that old man. Turn it off!" Soma growled at her, trying to eject the disc from her Terminal. But Aimee blocked him with each step.

"No, I want to see how it ends." That responds only earned a louder growl from Soma as he tried harder.

_"The only survivors of that accident were Soma, who was carrying the Bias Factor... and myself, who happened to have your "Save Luck Charm" at the time." Johannes explained. "Who knew that the charm technology you developed would one day be used to build an Anti-Aragami Wall, protecting humankind from Aragami? As a scientist, I'm painfully aware that I cannot hold a candle to you. Most likely, you had predicted that this would come to pass... Am I wrong?"_

_Aimee could detect the warmth that he once had previously in the video was long lost. Most likely dying away along with his life partner when the birthing went wrong._

_"(Laughs) Fear not... I'm not sending you this email in order to blame you for anything. In the coming weeks, I'll be appointed Director of the Fenrir Far East Branch. And so I'd like to ask you to join forces with me once again. In return, I promise you ample funding for your research... and you will also be in charge of all development pertaining to God Eaters. By the way, I never introduced you to my son. Well, with that being so, expect me to call on you in the near future. Until then, my friend."_

The video ended with Dr. Sakaki's written message that this disc should be returned to his lab if ever found... and to tell him that the finders didn't watch it. Seeing that 'now' the disc was done, she ejected the disc from her Terminal.

So now she knew that Soma was experimented on even before birth. And, Director Johannes was his father. Who would've thought...? Well that would explain where he inherited his spring blue eyes from.

"Damn old man, always sticking his nose where it doesn't belong." Soma growled at finally being discovered by Aimee. Frustrated and slightly nervous, Soma tried to take the disc from Aimee to get rid of the damnable thing. "Give it."

"No, it's Dr. Sakaki's." She said, holding it as far away from him as she possibly could.

"Give me the damn disc, Aimee." He growled at her as he put more force into his actions.

"No, you're only going to destroy it!" She said back, knowing Dr. Sakaki, he would probably blame it on her.

"Quit being so difficult and just hand it over!" Taking a drastic measure, she stuffed the disc into her top... in between her breasts... "!"

"Your move, Soma." She challenged him as he froze in place at her action.

For a second there, he contemplated just sticking his hand in there and yanking it out just to spite her. It would've been easy for him, and the idea had a slight appeal to it. She had to take a flinch back when she saw his hand reaching out to her with fingers that meant business. But... Soma still liked to believe that he was still a gentleman, no matter how other people saw him. Grunting to himself, Soma stuck his hands back into his pocket. Turning his face to the side, he tried to hide his blush as he thought of how he almost contemplated about sticking his hand down her top.

"Hmph, I'm not sure how much he knows, but I don't give a damn what happened in the past." Soma said, trying to cover his concerns. "Don't go digging around where you're not wanted. Got that?"

"No, I don't. Is this why you keep calling yourself a monster?!" She said angrily.

"Aimee," Soma growled at her. Furious that she wouldn't drop the subject.

"No! I don't understand why things beyond your control would justify you, or anyone else for that matter, to call you a monster!" She persisted, shaking her fists along with her head as continued her rant. "You're a good person, your means of birth shouldn't effect that!"

"Shut up..." He growled at her, eyes full of fury as hers began to tear up.

"No. I will not shut up! You have done nothing to deserve being called a monster! You guys don't even know the meaning of the word monster! Hitler was a monster; Stalin was a monster; even Saddam was a monster. You have done none of the things they've done to be even considered on their level. And yet you have the audacity to call yourself a monster is beyond me!"

"Grrah, why can't I make you understand?!" He practically shouted at her, grabbing her wrists to stop her fists from shaking. He made her gasp in surprise when he leaned his face into her personal space.

"?!"

Before she knew it, he crossed the little distance between them to kiss her hard on the lips. Taken aback by his bold move, Aimee's eyes shot wide open. His had shut while his lips demanded for her attention. She tried to back out of his grip, but he wouldn't have it as he followed her. Eventually she had stumbled back onto her bed where she had fallen and took Soma with her.

His grip on her wrists now held them down onto the bed, along with his body weight, while his lips refused to relent. She had longed for his lips, but not like this. There was no love in the action, just demanding obedience and desperate acceptance. He was starting to bruise her lips, and his hands were leaving grip marks on her wrists. Although the sensation did feel kinda nice, Aimee knew that it was wrong. She had to stop him, but when he started to bite her bottom lip she found it hard to find the will.

But she had to stop this, she wiggled her head around until she was freed from his lips. Aimee couldn't help but take in a heavy needed breath of air. But her lack of cooperation didn't stop Soma, he just moved his attention down her jawline to her neck as she turned her face away from him.

"Wait, Soma, stop." She called out to him to no avail. She had to take it up a notch when he started to bite on her neck. "Soma!"

"!" As if waking from a trance, Soma's eyes widen in realization of what he had done. His hands instantly removed their hard grip on her wrists to rest on the bed instead. Removing his lips from her neck, he substituted it for resting his forehead on her shoulder as his eyes returned to his normal open size. "Sorry..."

"(Sigh) No, I'm sorry. Did I push you too far by getting too close?" She soothed to him, lowering his hood to gently rub her hand on his head. While the other hand worked along his upper back.

"..."

"Why are you scared that I'll see what's really on the inside?"

"... Because you won't like what you see."

"Nonsense, your insecurities and dark secrets didn't make me blink an eye once. Just like mine didn't make you turn away from me, I hope."

"What? Why would I-"

"See, there is no fear between us, so let go and just be free. I'll take your bad days with your good and walk the storms with you. I do it all because I love you."

"!" Soma's eyes widened at her words, making his head shoot up to look back down at her.

"I love you." She said warmly back up to him again, just in case he didn't believe he heard her right the first time. "Unconditionally, I will love you. I will accept every form of you, everything that makes you 'you', so will you do the same for me...?"

"...!" Soma couldn't find the words to say, it felt like a weight had been lifted from him. He hadn't felt this relieved in a long time. Closing his eyes, he wrapped his arms around her and rested his forehead on hers. "Yes... I will."

She smiled up at him as a happy tear escaped her eye. Returning his gesture, she lifted her arms to wrap them around his back. They stayed in that warm embrace for a long time.

*** Two days later ***

The day before was mostly uneventful for Aimee. Just one late night mission at the Tranquil Temple against a Fallen Kongou. It wasn't so different from a regular Kongou, just a little stronger and Frost based. The day was simple enough, gave Aimee enough time to research this Managarm Project on her Terminal. Luckily, her Leader title gave her access to more files.

Apparently the project was meant to develop biochemical applications for the Bias Factor. Led by Aisha Gauche, who first proposed the Project. The project led to many experiments at the Aragami Research Lab. Although some meaningful results were reaped, the project was shut down. The file didn't explain much why, just said it was a failed 'Bias Factor Human Test'. And that only Director Johannes and Dr. Sakaki survived the project.

More detail about the project went into the Bias Factor Test files. Explaining how Aisha experimented on herself, and how she died during the experiments failure along with other members present during the final product of the experiment. Leading to the only two survivors of the experiment, Director Johannes von Schicksal Chief of Research, and the subject's son, Soma Schicksal. Soma became the first successful Bias Factor transferee, and obviously still living.

The experiment was a failure and lead to a tragic disaster, but the significant physical improvements and decrease in Bias Factor rejection gained from research on Soma lead to the discovery of P53 Bias Factor and the development of God Arcs. Which contributed greatly to the creation of the God Eaters.

Looking further into the files, she had discovered Aisha Gauche's file, Soma's mother. She was one of the founding members of Fenrir, and the foremost authority on Aragami research. She served as chief of the Aragami Research Lab, where Dr. Sakaki and Johannes von Schicksal also worked at the time of Fenrir's launch. As leading biochemist, it was her that proposed the Managram Project. One test involved embedding the Bias Factor into a human, which she conducted on her own child. The test failed and she ended up losing her life.

Now she truly understood everything, and still she did not change her feelings toward Soma. It only made her love him more, giving him all the love she could give him for his cruel fate given to him before he had even taken his first breath of life.

Director Johannes had left that night for the UK on business, leaving Dr. Sakaki in charge until his return. Dr. Sakaki had sent out a mass email saying that if anybody had found his missing disc that he dropped somewhere to return it to him in his lab right away. She had no idea why he would wait so long to ask for its return, but it was late so she decided to return it to him in the morning. For now the day was almost over, with one more mission to take care of. She had another mission at the Tranquil Temple against a Borg Camlann, which she had to take care of with Alisa, Kota, and Soma. But Soma had dozed off as they waited for the go to get started. But it didn't look like a pleasant rest, his face was so troubled and his body was tense. They all went over to shake him awake, he looked like he would appreciate that.

"Dammit!" Soma shot awake, making the others flinch back. Aimee knelled by his left side, while Alisa stood at his other side and Kota stood in front of him.

"Oh! R-really, you shouldn't scare people like that!" Alisa said, startled. Aimee just soothingly rubbed his upper arm to calm in down from his supposed bad dream.

"Seems like you were having a nightmare. Are you OK?" Kota asked.

"Yeah..."

"Huh?! That's not like you to be so civil!"

"Back off! Just shut up..."

"That's more like it... you're fine... Come on, let's go."

*** Early Morning the next day in Sakaki's Lab ***

"I'm sorry, so you picked this up for me? I owe you a handful. Needless to say you didn't watch it did you? It's nothing really, just memories from my youth. Oh wait, I'm glad you're here. I have a favor to ask you." Dr. Sakaki asked of Aimee as she returned his disc. "I'd like you to obtain a certain Aragami core. The Director asked me to assign this task while he's away."

"Alright, I will comply." Aimee nodded to him.

"No one needs to know of this, especially the Director or your Adviser." Dr. Sakaki insisted, bringing his face really close into her personal space, making her lean back.

"Uh... okay..."

"You see, I already asked Soma for the same favor... and I'd really like the two of you to take care of this somehow."

"Hm, okay. Sounds like fun."

"If I recall," he said, leaning back into his own space. "You just got promoted to Leader, haven't you? Congratulations! I'm curious... have you ever heard of the Managarm Project?"

"I've been doing my research, yes..."

"I have to tell you, there was nothing elegant about that experiment. I even lost a dear friend..." She could hear the hurt in his voice, the results of that research must have pained him so. "And Soma, who was left behind, may be shouldering that negative legacy all by himself... And I, myself... I am one of those whose actions warrant Soma's hatred again."

"Only by secondhand influence..."

"I'd like it if you'd somehow befriend him..." he asked, leaning into her space again. "Please."

He really did care about Soma...

"Of course..." She nodded to him with a warm smile.

*** City of Mercy ***

"You've been out of it since yesterday, Soma. Even Kota's been noticing." Aimee commented.

"Hmph, who cares what he thinks he sees. The guy can't even do his homework."

"He cares in his own way, he just wishes that you'd open up more."

"Hmph, you seem to care about that Rookie a lot."

"What? Are you jealous?" Aimee teased in amusement. Putting her hands behind her back as she tilted to the side to look up at Soma.

"Tst, keep dreaming." He growled in embarrassment, turning his head to the side to hide his blush while he crossed his arms.

"Aw, you are." She giggled, leaning back up straight to lean forward to peck his cheek that was exposed to her. "That's so sweet. But don't worry, you're the only one for me."

"What the? Why you-"

"Heh haha hahahaha!" She giggle as she ran from him to start the mission, Duke being the good sport by taking all of their flirting in silence simply followed after his partner. The Doc wanted them to take care of a Borg Camlann and a Vajra. Which Aimee wanted them to get done quickly since she had three other missions to get done that day in the Sunken Grid and the Wailing Plains.

It took them a long while to look all over for their targets, Aimee was starting to contemplate splitting up so that they could cover more grounds. But it was when they turned the corner in the long alleyway that they spotted the Vajra eating salvaging items in Sector N. Duke had silently ran ahead of them to get a sneaky bite on the Vajra. Enlarging from the burst, Duke shot two Team-bullets at Aimee and one at Soma and distracted the Vajra. Using the burst, Aimee combo punched the Vajra until she broke off the Vajra's face armor. She didn't even give the Vajra a chance to attack as she refused to relent. Aimee even knocked off its leg armor with a low roundhouse kick that knocked it on the ground. Finishing it off, Soma gave the Vajra a crushing blow.

"That's one down." Soma commented.

"Let's go destroy the other one." Aimee giggled before running off with Duke, still as big as a Vajra.

"Don't wonder around now."

After running out of the alleyway they saw the Borg Camlann walking into the backroom of the church. Wasting no time, Aimee charged after it with Duke, punching at its weak point in its legs while Duke began to chomp on a leg. Not liking this, the Borg Camlann jumped in the air, knocking all of them off their feet as it came down. While they were getting up, the Borg Calmann tried to get them with the twirl attack of its tail. Duke was able to jump back in time, but the same couldn't be said about Aimee and Soma. Going to block her face with her crossed arms, Aimee was taken off guard when Soma got in front of her to block her from the attack with his shield.

"Soma," she gasped in endearing shock.

"Tst, damn pest. Go to hell." Soma growled at the Borg Camlann, striking it with a hard side swipe with his God Arc that took out its leg armor and knocked it off its legs.

"Nice one, Soma." Aimee praised as she went to attack the downed Borg Camlann with him and Duke.

Duke was wrestling to tear off its shield armor, while Aimee and Soma attack its vulnerable spot in its legs. Angered once it got back on its feet, the Borg Camlann made a run for inside the church. Leaving them to chase it down by going around the church while it only had to enter through the broken colored glass window. Angered by the long chase, Duke didn't even silently sneak up on it. Growling as he leaped, Duke took a large bite on the Borg Camlann's shield arms as it turned around toward the noise, breaking off its shield armor. Once the armor was off, the spot became weaker, making it fair game for Aimee to attack it while Soma went after the legs and Duke held back the tail. With a hard strike on the legs the Borg Camlann went down again.

They attacked it while it was down, but again, once it got up it made a run for it. To their annoyance it ran back to the extract same spot it was before. Taking the shorter way around the church, they didn't even waste any time and just attacked Borg Camlann. It didn't take much more hits before it was finally defeated.

"And stay down." Aimee said down to it.

"What ever shows up just slash it to hell."

"My hero." Aimee cooed to Soma in awe as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Lifting herself off the ground and off her feet as she hugged him and gave him a kiss on his cheek. "Thanks for protecting me with your shield. That needle tail would've sting something fierce."

"Hmph, I gotta protect my baggage." Soma grunted out with a smirk. For some reason the term lacked the bite it usually had.

*** Author's Note ***

Sorry for the late update, I went on vacation to see a graduation.


	25. Chapter 25

I may not have said this yet but... this story will be 34 chapters long.

The Healing

"Well! Sorry to keep summoning you." Dr. Sakaki said to Aimee, leaning into her personal space again. Dr. Sakaki had called her into his lab that day for a request. Seeing that she had no reason to refuse him, she paid him a visit. But it wouldn't hurt if he would remember people's personal bubble. "But I have a very special favor to ask of you today... As always, I'll be sending you on an Aragami extermination mission. The team for this mission will be Sakuya, Alisa... and to complete the group Kota. Oh, and there's no need to muster up any more troops."

"Sure, I... I guess."

"I've done some contriving to make this seem like a routine mission."

"You're raising a lot of red flags right now, Doctor."

"No need to fret over, just get your mission done and all will be done."

"Hmph, fine..."

"That's all for me. I'm looking forward to the results."

"Apparently so am I."

*** Tranquil Temple ***

"(Gasp)!" Aimee let out a breath as the Vajra charged her to the ground.

"I'll give you a hand." Sakuya said as she fired at the Vajra to shoo it away from Aimee. The team had split up into two groups so they could cover more grounds quicker. Alisa and Kota were currently taking care of the Chi-You by the main temple while Aimee and Sakuya took on the Vajra by the Gong Tower. They were owning the Vajra at first, even took off its face armor, but then it decided to make a run for it up toward Kota and Alisa.

Aimee and Sakuya tried their best to keep the Vajra as far away from the Chi-You and the other group as possible. Kota looked like the Chi-You was doing a number on him from what it said on the radar. But after a few more hits and kicks they had taken off its leg armor and killed it, before Duke even got the chance to get a bite in. Not wasting any time, they ran toward Alisa and Kota on the other side of the main temple entrance while leaving Duke to eat the Vajra's core. Sakuya fired some Recovery Bullets at Kota while they ran, and one at Alisa who had suffer a little damage compared to Kota. But as they ran toward them, the Chi-You ran away... back to the area Sakuya and Aimee once were.

"Here!" Alisa shouted out to Aimee as she fire three Tea-bullets at her.

"Thanks! Alright, let's go!" Aimee ordered as they ran back down the stairs, giving Duke a chance to catch up with them.

The Chi-You was eating salvage material by the Gong Tower. Competing for attack space, Aimee jumped in the air to attack the Chi-You's wing arms while avoiding the others' Oracle Bullets. Kota's and Sakuya's were easy, but Alisa's boost enhanced bullets... not so much. The Chi-You tried to make a run for it again to Sector D, but that wasn't much of a run for them. Taking a couple harmless blows, Aimee eventually destroyed the Chi-You's wing armor and got it on its knees. Once down it was easy to finish off, Alisa and Kota had already lowered its health enough.

"All right, we nailed it this time too!" Kota cheered.

"Don't let your guard down til the end." Alisa lectured.

"Duke, eat it." Aimee said to her PAR, but just as Duke was about to devour the Chi-You's core...

"Hey, hold up!"

"!"

"Huh?" Sakuya gasped at the sudden intrusion coming from the stairway.

"What are you doing here, Doc?" Kota asked as Dr. Sakaki, being guarded by Soma, was making his way up the stairway.

"I'll explain later. Just leave that Aragami alone and come over here a second would you." Complying to his request, the team went over to where Dr. Sakaki took cover. They waited there for awhile, Aimee was starting to feel the cold through her bare feet. Dr. Sakaki began to check his watch for the time when Duke started to sense something as he took a more guarded stance. Dr. Sakaki noticed something approaching from around the corner of the wall, making him put his watch away in excitement.

"Ah, it's coming!"

"What is?" That's when they noticed a young girl coming out of nowhere and began to approach the dead Chi-You with no fear. Things went crazy when she started to eat it, it was like she hasn't eaten in days. "!"

As they ran toward the girl, she slowly turned toward them covered in the Chi-You's blood that messed up her rag Fenrir flag dress and her face. She looked friendly, but the blood dripping out of her mouth look menacing.

"Uh..." She spoke to them, wiping the blood off her face. "I am... hungry."

"Whoa!" Kota freaked as she looked up at them. He raised his God Arc at her, but she didn't flinch or fear him. Making Kota waver on his action and lower his God Arc back down. Poor Duke didn't know what to do, the young girl made him want to lower his guard due to his Predatory Behavior. But... something inside him also made him want to attack...

"Well now, good to see you!" Dr. Sakaki greeted the girl, breaking through the tension as he walked over to them. "So you finally decided to show yourself!"

Then he turned to face Soma. "Soma, thank you for bringing her here. I can be with her now... thanks to you!"

"No need to thank me. But how about an explanation."

"Well, since she was being stubborn about not showing up. I eradicated what she's been feeding on in this area. Even the pickiest of eaters can't ignore the pangs of hunger, right."

"Man! Your sneakiness at least has no peers."

"Uh... Doctor... who is this kid?" Kota asked, interrupting Dr. Sakaki's and Soma's conversation.

"Oh, right. We shouldn't be chatting like this out in the open." Dr. Sakaki said as if suddenly remembering something. Then he looked over to address the girl standing on the Chi-You. "I apologize from keeping it from you all this time. You'll come with us, won't you?"

"I'm ready to eat!" She responded.

"Huh?" Soma was stumped by her weird answer, which caused her to try and correct herself.

"I 'was' ready to eat?"

"Well let's head back, I'm starting to freeze out here." Kota commented with a shiver.

"I agree, let's head back and warm up." Alisa said in agreement.

"Okay, come on little one." Sakuya said soothingly to the child which had her jumping down to join Sakuya by her side.

"Okay!" She cheered in compliance as the group started to head back. However, Aimee... remained unmoving.

"Aimee?" Kota called back to her as he noticed her not following the group, making the others look behind as well. "What's the hold up?"

"You guys go. I've got some unfinished business I need to take care of." Aimee answered to Kota, unmoving.

"What? But Aimee-"

"Come on, Duke. I'll need your help." Duke immediately left the others to walk over to Aimee's side.

"Aimee, it's too dangerous to leave you out here."

"I'll be fine, Soma. I just have to see something." Aimee reassured him. "Now get going."

"If you think we're just going to leave you out here, you must have lost your mind."

"Do I have to make this into an order?"

"Tst," Soma growled at her for her stubborn nature. Having enough, Dr. Sakaki decided to intervene.

"Just let her be, Soma. She can handle herself out here." He said, tapping Soma's shoulder before looking back toward Aimee. "Don't stay out here too long."

"Hmph, I'll try not to be long." She nodded to the Doctor as she waited for the others to go.

"Tst, if you're not back at the Den by an hour-"

"Please don't send out the search squad, Soma." Aimee teased in a groan. "I'll be back shortly."

Reluctantly, Soma left with the others. Leaving Aimee alone with Duke to finally do what she had wanted to do for a while now. Just as the others were making their way out of hearing range she called out...

"Hey, you... with the black hair. Hold on a second."

"**!**" The presence paused in his steps, he was heading in a direction opposite from the others. Slowly turning around... he looked to her in shock. "**You can... you can see me?**"

"I can see a lot of things apparently... Things that I had no idea that others couldn't see, the same goes for the other Guardians." Aimee explained. "At first I thought the others were just being rude, ignoring you guys like that. But then I realized... they can't even see you... I think us being able to see you has to do with us Guardians being the Middleman dosage. The Gods Eater can neither see nor hear you. And yet you guys follow them without a second thought. It reminded me of our PARS, and that got me thinking... you guys 'were' like PARs. God Arc versions of them to be exact, with unique souls of your own."

"**!**"

"I've noticed you a lot around Lindow. You must be his God Arc."

"**...**"

"But I'm sure you go by more than that. Can you tell me your name?"

"**... It's Ren... My name is Ren.**"

"I see... that's a good name." Aimee smiled warmly to the boy, who smiled back at her.

"**Ahh, it feels so good to be able to talk to someone. Talking... makes me feel so warm... I love it.**"

"Please, Ren, can you tell where Lindow is? I know you know, you never leave his side for very far."

"**... He's here... but he's not looking very good...**"

"Please... lead the way..."

Ren had lead Aimee to the broken back houses of the Tranquil Temple area. They were like the traditional bamboo paper houses of Japan that the country had once been known for. One of the houses with the damaged paper walls threw her attention as Ren lead her to it. Lindow had talked about this place before with her. How him and his sister, Tsubaki, and Sakuya use to live in this area before the Aragami took over. It gave Aimee reason to believe that this place was once his home...

It would make sense that he would run here. If you think about Lindow must felt like he could not go back to the Den, like it would be dangerous if he tried. Where would anybody go if they felt that way? Usually some place safe. And what better place would that be then the place they had grownup in.

"Lindow!" She gasped out as she saw him laying in the corner, leaning on a pile of storage in boxes. His shirt was ripped to shreds as dirtied bandages covered his wounds. He looked so tired and so... broken. His right arm... was no longer human. He had it wrapped up and contained in chains. Lindow didn't even acknowledge her as she called out to him and ran up to him.

"Boy... I'm starving..." His eyes had a crimson glow to them.

"Lindow..." Aimee called out to him as she knelled beside him.

"I'm hungry..."

"Lindow!"

"!" He finally came into realization of her presence as she placed a hand on his Aragami shoulder, his eyes had returned to their normal emerald. Tiredly, he spoke to her. "Aimee...? Hey, so it's you? Damn... I don't believe you. How could you come all this way? How did you find me?"

"A dear friend of yours that has been looking after you all this time showed me the way." Aimee said, pointing back at Ren. She knew he probably wouldn't see Ren, but she hoped that the thought would count.

"Wait... who are out?" Lindow said toward Ren before he grunted as he gripped his Aragami arm in pain.

"!" Aimee couldn't believe it, Lindow could see Ren. It must be because of his hyperactive Oracle Cells due to the Aragami Infection in his arm. She also noticed that his armlet was missing, that must've been why his Bias Factor was being left unchecked. He was mostly like her now, but much worse...

"**Pretty cold of you, Lindow. You're spoiling our reunion.**" Ren pouted at Lindow before returning serious back at Aimee. "**We don't have much time. You gotta get him out of here to get some help before the Infection spreads.**"

"What about you? I don't see your God Arc form anywhere." Aimee insisted, looking around the room for Lindow's God Arc as she lifted Lindow's arm around her shoulder to support his weight as she carried him out. Lindow was tired, and put up no fight as she dragged him out. But Ren simply shook his head at her question.

"**You won't find me here. I was devoured by the Aragami during the fight.**"

"Can you move around far alright without it?"

"**I've been doing it so far, it's just... strenuous. I can feel myself inside that black Aragami's stomach... it's warm... and cramp.**"

"We'll find you later, my friend. Just hold on until then, Ren."

"**Thank you...**" Ren sincerely said to her.

"Come on, I'll call Dr. Sakaki while we make our way back to the Den."

"**But! What about the Director?!**"

"The Director left for the UK on business a couple of days ago. What about him?"

"**Nothing... forget about it. Let's just keep going.**" Ren insisted as they made their way back to the Den. Luckily for them it was late so not a lot of people in the Den would still be awake to see Aimee drag Lindow back to the Den in the state he was. Reaching for the cellphone she hid in the backside of her corset, she proceeded to call Dr. Sakaki...

*** Meanwhile, back in Dr. Sakaki's Lab ***

The others were flinching back away from the child in fear, while Soma simply stood by the wall and Dr. Sakaki stood behind the child, at the sound of the news. She simply looked up at them, smiling without a care.

"Um... what did you just say?!" Sakuya asked in disbelief.

"Uh... I'll say it as many times as necessary, this is an Aragami." Dr. Sakaki answered, pointing toward the child sitting on the floor.

"NO. WAY. HOLY!" Kota shouted in ineligible sentences.

"What! Oh..." Alisa was able to keep her cool, for the most part.

"Now, now. Calm down. This one won't prey on you, I promise." They seemed to have relaxed a little at that information. "As you, know, all Aragami share a trait known as 'Bias'."

"An Aragami's unique tendency for predatory behavior... That's the same thing our God Arcs uses, isn't that right?" Alisa explained.

"That's correct! I'm sure that's common knowledge for you God Eaters." Dr. Sakaki praised, happy that at least one of his students was paying attention during his lectures.

"Did you...?" Kota asked over to Soma as if embarrassed that he didn't know that information.

"Of course!" Soma huffed out. Nearly over four years on the job, he had better known that information.

"This Aragami's Bias seems to be directed at the other Aragami of a higher order. We humans don't even fall under the category of food, as far as she's concern." Dr. Sakaki continued explaining. "It's a common misconception. Aragami aren't born with characteristics of their life form. Rather, they evolve in a break neck pace through Devouring. As a result of that, their diverse revolutionary potential is condensed into a very short period again. And that's what makes an Aragami what it is."

"You mean this child..." Sakuya couldn't even find it in her to finish the sentence.

"Right, just like mankind, they temporarily got stuck in a dead end in their process of evolution." The Aragami girl kept playing with her foot while Dr. Sakaki explained. "She's an Aragami evolving much like a human."

"A human-like... Aragami you mean?" Soma said in disgust.

"Yes, based on an examination I conducted earlier... the equivalent of her cranial nerves and synapse seems to be functioning exactly like a human brain. Clearly, she's got an incredible capacity to learn! Quite an intriguing specimen!"

"Doc!" Kota called out to him, raising his hand in question.

"Yes Kota?"

"I think I got most of what you said... actually, it was mostly way over my head... Um, exactly what does she mean when she says 'Food', or 'I'm ready to eat'?"

"Food!" Kota flinched back as the Aragami girl shouted out the word in confirmation.

"It sounds pretty ominous coming from her..."

"Like I said, the Bias Factor of an Aragami dictates its will not to partake on any being similar to itself. That said, in times of dire hunger- like now for instance- she's likely to gobble up anything, no matter how unpleasant it taste." Again they all flinched back away from her as she only smiled wider at them. "But that's an exception to the rule."

They all calmed back down as Dr. Sakaki continued on with his explanation. "As you know 'Aragami' is just a nickname. But there have been multiple entities adopting the form as what we humans envisioned as 'the gods'... This has been noticed worldwide. What thought process could lead them to adapt to this way of life? What process led them to worship gods? Don't you find this intriguing? And this Aragami child here, who's taken human form, is a completely rare case, you see. Oh, I degrease. That's it for today for this study group. If you don't mind I'd like for you to keep this a secret between us... Are we agreed?"

"But... we'll have to report it to the Director and our Adviser..."

"Sakuya... you're an exalted Gods Eater and protector of humankind... And yet you intend to tell your superiors I smuggled an Aragami into the Den, the headquarters at the battlefield?"

"Well, no... but what exactly did you plan to do with it?"

"Didn't I tell you before...?" Dr. Sakaki said, invading her bubble and making her lean back. "She's a valuable sample. She's merely the subject of a personal project, that's all. Don't worry. I made sure this place has its own security system and infrastructure. It's not connected to the other sections. Now I'm sure you wouldn't want someone to pry needlessly into your affairs, would you?"

"!"

"Ready to eat!" The Aragami girl cheered, breaking the tension.

"I'd like you to be her friend." Dr. Sakaki asked everyone in the room. "You too Soma... please, look out for her."

"Don't be ridiculous! It may be good at imitating a human... but it's still a monster."

"Soma-" Soma was just about to leave when Dr. Sakaki's phone went off. Reaching into his robe's pocket, he answered the call. "Hello?"

"_Doc._"

"Ah, Aimee!"

"!" That stopped Soma in his tracks.

"Good to hear from you, are you heading back yet?"

"_We need to talk, make sure that your alone in the room right now._"

"Alright, give me a second." Dr. Sakaki said putting her on hold to address the others. "Okay, you guys have to leave now. I have to prepare a room for our guest."

"What? What did she say Doc?" Soma asked him, refusing to be shooed off.

"She said she's fine. She'll be back to the Den shortly, so don't wait up for her."

"Then I want to hear her."

"Soma, you're being unreasonable. Now just go to bed."

"I'm not moving from this spot until I hear it from her voice." Soma insisted, making the others stand their ground as well.

"(Sigh) Fine, you know sometimes I think I spoil you, Soma." Dr. Sakaki groaned out before taking his phone off of hold and talked to Aimee. "Hey Aimee, your comrades refuse to leave until you talk to them. Say something to them."

With that Dr. Sakaki put his phone on speaker and lifted it out toward the others.

"_GO THE FUCK TO SLEEP!_"

"Well I'm out!" Kota rushed out of the room, Alisa soon following behind.

"Me too!"

"I think I'll get some shut eye as well." Sakuya said, rushing out of the lab with the others. At times, Aimee could be really scary.

"Hmph, don't take too long getting back here, brat." Soma huffed toward the speaker before closing the door behind him as he left.

"Okay, they're all gone. What's this about Aimee?" Dr. Sakaki asked her after taking the phone off of speaker.

"_I found_ _Lindow..._"

"What?!"

"_I said I found_ _Lindow._"

"W-w-wait, wait. You found him? Where?"

"_He was hiding in the residential section in the Tranquil Temple area. He's in pretty bad shape. He needs a Doctor._"

"Can you describe to me what his conditions are?"

"_It's hard to do that right now while I'm dragging him back to the Den. I have to keep a look out at all times while I'm moving. You'll see what I mean when you see him._"

"Alright, hurry back. I'll clear the Entrance and Lab Floor and hack into the cameras to turn them off so you can sneak him in undetected. The last thing we want is for the Den to be in an uproar while he's in a critical condition."

"_Hm, agreed._"

*** Half an hour later ***

True to his word, Dr. Sakaki had cleared out the area so Aimee was alone when she dragged Lindow into the Den on her shoulder. Taking him down the elevator and into Dr. Sakaki's lab without bumping into anyone. Lindow rested on the floor as Dr. Sakaki looked him over.

"This is grim... and you say that you found him like this?"

"Yes."

"And what of his God Arc?"

"Apparently in the belly of an Aragami along with his armlet most likely." Aimee answered before looking at Ren who was knelling by Lindow at her side. "Ren, can you describe to me what the Aragami looked like?"

"**It was like a black Vajra with the face of a man.**"

"Who are you talking to, Aimee?"

"Ren, the spirit of Lindow's God Arc. Apparently God Arcs are more like PARs than we originally thought. Although they have the means to talk, the God Eaters can neither see them nor hear them. Apparently we Guardians have the right P Bias Factor balance to see them though. He says that the Aragami that ate him was Vajra-like but black and had a man's face." Most likely like the species as the one that killed Alisa's parents...

"Amazing, truly amazing!"

"I'm surprised you so easily believe me, Dr. Sakaki."

"With an Aragami girl sitting on my couch, I'm starting to believe in things that most would demise as implausible." Dr. Sakaki said, pointing at the young girl leaning over the couch on her knees as she looked down at Lindow.

"That girl's an Aragami?"

"You're taking the news very well."

"It's not like my attitude will change anything. I will just see where this goes. She seems friendly enough. But... what are we going to do about Lindow? Can you help him?"

"I can try. We're going to have to hide him until we can get his condition under control. Keep this a secret from the others. We don't want the others to get excited and swarm around him as he's trying to recover. The last thing we want to do is stress him." Or bring attention to him...

"Agreed..."

"Good. Now I'm going to have to examine him to see how far in the Aragami Infection has effected his body. The little lady on the couch is going to be rooming in the room to the right, so we'll have to stash Lindow in the room to the left. I'm going to need some medical supplies, can you break into the Sick Bay and steal some things for me without getting caught if I give you a list?"

"How dare you! That is a vicious stereotype of my people! Just because I'm a Gypsy doesn't mean I know how to steal."

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend! I-"

"Ha ha! I'm just yanking you, Dr. Sakaki! I can totally get those things for you."

"Oh ha..." Dr. Sakaki nervously laughed.

"But seriously, I was trained to do stealth like this. It doesn't mean that all Gypsies know how to steal." Aimee said seriously as the laughing finally came to a stop with her.

"Y-yeah, yeah, yeah, I got it."

"Good." She smiled at him. "Well stash the body and make the list, I've got a grocery stop I need to make. And it'll be easier to do on a late night run."


	26. Chapter 26

The Return of the Old and New

It was a late night for Aimee, helping Dr. Sakaki set up Lindow's and the Aragami girl's rooms. The girl's room wasn't too much trouble, she just had to clear out the boxes. Bring in a bed and a desk with a chair, and a couple of crayons and paper to keep her entertained. Lindow's was the hard one. Not only did she have to clear the storage supplies out, she had to bring in his sick bed a visitor's chair and help set up his medical machinery. He wasn't really needled up, just IV injecting his nutrients into his system through his arm and another needle in his Aragami wrist injecting his P53 Bias Factor to keep him stable. A heart monitor was also attached to him, but that was more of a Tumble on his human index finger, checking his pulse.

Luckily the hazard sign would keep others out of Lindow's room. But it was a hassle actually transferring the hazard supplies into another Laboratory. By the time Aimee was done helping Dr. Sakai with that it was four in the morning. Duke had rested through it all with his head on the Aragami girl's lap. After a good five minutes of sniffing each other out, the two of them actually started to get along. Duke didn't try to attack her, and she didn't try to eat him. But to ease their hunger, Aimee gave them a couple of her Chi-You salvage parts from her storage for them to munch on. After they ate, they napped. Aimee had to carry the Aragami child into her new room to put her in her bed, the little girl didn't put any trouble from the move.

The hard one to take back to their room was Duke, he had the tendency of wrapping his tail around her legs while she carried him back to her room, and his antenna kept tickling her. Aimee just placed him in his doggie bed and crashed on her own without even changing out of her clothes. She barely even got two hours of sleep when Tsubaki had the whole Den up and in attention in the Entrance as she angrily addressed an issue. Dr. Sakaki stood beside her as she addressed all the God Eaters in the Den.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way, doesn't matter to me. In the end somebody's going to fess up."

"..." The God Eaters and Guardians remained quiet, they had no idea what she was talking about.

"One of you snuck into the Sick Bay and took a number of medical supplies last night."

"?"

"I know it was one of you, because some of the machinery that would take at least three men or a heavy lifter to lift out were carried out so quietly that no one heard them moving." Tsubaki explained, then she decided to negotiate. "If this is some practical joke, I fail to see the humorous in it. If the culprit chooses to turn themselves in or if someone else turns them in, the punishment will be lessened for them and the rest of the Den will be off Scot free. Depending on the condition on the medical supply I might even turn a cheek on the prankster. But this is for a limited time only. You must fess up now before I lose my patience."

"..." Nobody fessed up, they didn't even have an idea who would want to steal supplies, let alone not get caught. They had no idea who did it, and Aimee was not going to confess. Aimee had almost sadly suspected someone to point the blame on her because she was a Gypsies, and Gypsies were always up to no good and stealing. But she was relieved to see the people of this Far East Branch knew nothing of this vicious stereotype... even though she did do it.

"None of you are going to fess up?" Tsubaki asked, looking among them to see if one of them would give themselves away. A sweaty glace, a twitch, shifting eyes, something.

"..." But they all remained unchanging in attention. Even Aimee as she covered her tiredness to hide suspicions from her. They didn't even try to throw one of the others under the bus... this was truly a tight-knit Branch.

"Very well..." Tsubaki said to them before giving them her sentence. "Since no one will confess you all will have to pay. We'll have to cut into our budget to replace the missing machinery and supplies. So until the replacements are paid off, the Ration's Funding will have to be cut into. You all will have to live with the Giant Corn Rations for as long as it takes. For Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner."

"Ugh!" Now they all began to whine in protest. Soma had some stored rations back in his room, but he didn't know if they'd last him long enough. Aimee looked up from the corner of her eyes to see Dr. Sakaki was giving her the apology prayer sign. Even Ren, who had walked to the morning announcement with her, patted her shoulder in sympathy. Well... crappy food was a small price to pay to make sure that Lindow was okay.

"On further note, there will be a water outage for 3 hours from 3:00pm and 6:00pm. During that time, there will be no hot water, and toilets cannot be used. So good luck with that."

"UGH!" This was a nightmare. Not only was that stuff they dared to call corn hard to chew, it clogged your systems for hours. When it would decided to come out it would clean the shit out of you. To have no running toilets around the time of the possible diarrhea would be a hell itself for them in the Den. Aimee had better hope that they never catch her for this cause they'd kick her ass, no matter how much they liked her. Hell, she might even kick her own ass.

"Too bad, Tough!" Tsubaki barked back at their whining. "Well you're up now, so get the day started early!"

"UGH!" "Dammit!" "I hate it here."

*** Dr. Sakaki's Lab ***

"Jeez, Dr. Sakaki, are you trying to get everyone to kill me?" Aimee huffed out in complaint as she had returned to the Lab after the announcement. Lindow and the Aragami were still resting in their rooms, leaving Aimee to envy them as her tired eyes were starting to weigh her down.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry, Aimee. Just need the water supply to conduct an experiment to help our guests."

"Experiment?"

"Why yes, I just need a couple of things to get started. I already requested Tatsumi to gather some Aragami parts at the Forgotten Carrier to help me out. But if you were to join him, I'm sure things will get done much quicker."

"Hm... alright, I'll head out with Tatsumi right now. Anything to avoid the angry mob in the Mesh Hall for breakfast."

"That's the spirit!"

*** The next day ***

The results of yesterday was as bad as Aimee thought it would be. God Eaters suffered through the day with clogged bowels and cramps. Many had to wait for the toilets to run again, while others were desperate enough to find bathrooms elsewhere. None were desperate enough to take a crap out on the field, but many ghetto residents were baffled as armed God Eaters beg to use their restrooms. Many of the God Eaters flooded the toilets once they became active, the poor janitor lady didn't know what to do. The water was going to run again, but they would still have to live off of Giant Corn for awhile. God help them all...

The mission was a success for Tatsumi and Aimee, Dr. Sakaki had taken it upon himself to locking himself in his lab once they gave him the parts. Working on whatever project he was working on. What ever it was smelled delicious. Most of the Guardians found themselves scratching at his lab door at the smell of it... along with Ren. He had began to hang around between Lindow and Aimee, to check up on Lindow and to simply talk with Aimee. It made him so happy to finally have someone to talk to who could talk back to him. The Aragami girl seemed to be able to see and hear Ren too, but lacked the knowledge to actually talk back. Speaking of her, poor Dr. Sakaki was trapped in the lab with he and that delicious smell. He probably had to bribe her with a lot of Chi-You parts to keep her out of his work.

Well now that the lab was off limits, Aimee busied herself with other missions. She had two extra missions at the Sunken Grid and the Forgotten Carrier, why not take Soma, Alisa, and Kota along too. Soma was still grumpy about her facing off a new breed of Fallen Borg Camlann alone with Tatsumi. It didn't help much when she wouldn't tell him why the mission was just a favor for Dr. Sakaki. But he knew Tatsumi had feelings for Hibari, the mission desk assistant, and he was as good as anybody to look after her and Duke against that Bolt Borg Camlann. So maybe with these missions he'd finally forgive her for leaving him out. It was just little missions called 'Grouse of the Mist' and 'Dancing Ogre', how bad could it be?

*** Sunken Grid ***

Apparently it was bad... Aimee looked at the aftermath of their work of dead Ogretails and Vajratails. Her eyes began to play tricks on her, she began to see dead soldiers lying among the Ogretails as her memories began to play on overdrive. Charlie and Rose began to walk among the massacre in an illusion as Charlie was cut down and the blazing setting sun made it look like an explosion consumed Rose.

"Uh... Aimee. Are you okay?" Kota nervously asked in concern as her horror filled eyes-turned-crimson as she looked around the bridge as if seeing a ghost.

"Are you... remembering those days?" Alisa asked sadly, remembering the memories she saw of Aimee's when they Resonated.

"It was like a nightmare, and it pains me. Because no body wants to die too fast." Aimee said without even looking at them. "It's like they're screaming again. I can see their faces, I can hear their voice."

"You can't look back." Soma said to her. "They will not come back."

"But..." She finally turned around to look at her team. The sad understanding eyes of Soma made her crimson eyes turn emerald again.

"You can't fly if the past keeps weighing you down. You have to try, Aimee... try to keep moving."

"... You're right. They're sacrifice will give me strength to fight on... I'll fight on so their lives won't be so short."

"Hmph, don't you dare die early on us."

"Mph, I'll try..."

"Don't try, Do."

"Okay."

*** The next day ***

Dr. Sakaki had finally opened his lab again, along with release his new lineup of ration beverages that he called 'First Love Juice'. Kota had dedicated himself to trying to get everyone in the Den to drink it after finding out how godawful it tasted. He had gotten the reaction he wanted from Tatsumi and Soma as they were now emptying their stomachs. But he almost ended up throwing-up as he saw how the Guardians found it delicious. They were chugging it down as if it was the best thing they ever had.

Aimee ended up introducing Ren to the Juice as well, he fell in love with it on first sip. The Aragami girl and Lindow seemed to like it too, it was actually working as a calming medicine for them.

"I could really use a beer right now, Doc." Lindow said up to Dr. Sakaki. Lindow was doing much better than he was before, Aimee judged from her and Ren's visits to his room when the unit wasn't around. But he was still in a delicate state.

"You know I can't give you anything that might unbalance your blood right now." Dr. Sakaki sympathized. "Just hang in there a little long until we get you stable, Champ."

"Ugh, but it's so boring in here."

"I can get you some books if you like." Aimee offered.

"Anything would be good at this point. I mean, even Shio has coloring to humor her."

"Shio?"

"The Aragami girl... that's what I call her."

"?!" Ren had told him a lot during his visits.

"Look's like you already Christened her." Dr. Sakaki commented with his usual fox-grin. "Perhaps we can suggest for the others to start calling her that without leading back to you."

"Can't you let the others know about me, Doc?"

"I told you Lindow, it's too dangerous to reveal you to the Den yet. And your still unstable."

"Tst."

"We need the Oracle Cells from your God Arc to stabilize your Aragami Infection. Until we find it, your stuck on lock-down, Lindow."

"Don't worry, Lindow. We'll find Ren."

"Heh, well at least the squirt can get to move around. Makes me relieved that you can see him, Aimee, it's good to know he won't be lonely."

"Aw, Lindow. So that's what it is... you miss your team."

"(Chuckle) I guess I do..."

"Poor thing, we can't have you feeling this way. It's not good for you." Aimee thought and thought to herself until she came up with an idea. "Oh! I know just what you need! Wait for a little bit, Lindow, I should have it to you by the end of the day."

"?" Both Lindow and Dr. Sakaki looked at her in confusion as she left with Ren.

*** Later that day ***

"Hey guys, thanks for gathering so soon." Aimee greeted to her team of God Eaters and Guardians as they gathered in the Entrance's Lounge area for the meeting Aimee suddenly called up through email.

"What's this about, Aimee?" Sakuya asked.

"I have a favor to ask." She said before pulling out a large 'Get Well Soon' card from behind her and a pen. I looked handmade with care, with balloons everywhere and flowers. And a cute brown bear with a thermometer in his mouth and in icepack on his head as he laid in a hospital bed next to a heart monitor that even had the heart line inclining. The bear was in a hospital gown and had green eyes and a patch of black fur on its head. Aimee must have spent a long time making this. "I need you all to sign this card."

"For who?" Soma asked.

"A friend I made in the hospital."

"I don't see why we should sign a card for a guy we don't even know." Soma huffed out.

"I agree." Alisa seconded. "I feel strange giving my name away to a stranger."

"Come on guys, have a heart." Aimee pleaded. "The guy's really sick, and has no friends to come and visit him. He's sad and really lonely, and could use a friendly encouragement, even from strangers."

"..."

"So what do you say? Will write a few words to help him get better?"

"..."

"You don't have to if you don't want to. This is not an order. Any words that are forced have no meaning..."

"..."

Sakuya was the first to get up and take the pen from Aimee.

"!"

"Anything to help out a lonely soul. Is his sickness curable?"

"Y-yes, but he's at an unstable point."

"Hm, well, I hope this helps."

"Me too! I'll sign the card!" Kota volunteered next, shooting out of his seat on the couch.

"I-I'll sign too!" Alisa got up next, soon the rest of the Guardians got up to write a few words on the card. At the end of the waiting line was Soma who grumpily snatched the pen from Aimee to write something down.

"Thank you, Soma."

"Hmph, just make sure he gets better."

"Oh I will. Thank you everyone! I'm sure this is going to make his day!"

*** Returning to Dr. Sakaki's Lab ***

"**That was a really nice thing you did, Aimee. I'm sure Lindow's going to be really happy with this.**" Ren cheered at Aimee as he followed her through the making of the card and the pick up of books for Lindow to busy himself with. She had tried to get Tsubaki to sign it too, hers was the hardest to get.

"Yes, but I'm not quite done yet."

"**!**" Ren's red eyes widened as Aimee held out the pen to him.

"You have to write something down too."

"**!**"

"Go on, I know you can. Give him a greeting."

"**Thank you...**" Ren shyly took the pen from her and began to write on the card, sitting down as he wrote on the card on the coffee table. "**There. What do you think?**"

"It's perfect." Aimee commented, looking down at the table at what he had written. "It's just what the card needed. Now all we need is three more. Dr. Sakaki, Shio! You want to write on the card?"

"Yay!" Shio cheered, not really knowing what she was writing on but was happy to be involved. She didn't really write anything, just scribbled on the corner. She tried her hardest, earning a pat on the head from Aimee for a 'good job'.

"I guess, I can write a thing or too for the Champ." Dr. Sakaki smirked, writing down as well.

"Right..." Aimee said, finally writing something down too after all the others were down. "Come on, guys, wanna help give this to Lindow?"

They all nodded as they followed her into Lindow's room. Lindow was taken off guard by the group that had entered the room.

"Whoa. Hey guys, where's the party at?" Lindow teased.

"Here Lindow, I got you some books to read." Aimee said first, placing the stack of books on the nightstand that Dr. Sakaki had recently added into the room.

"Aw, thanks, kid. I'll get to reading them later."

"Also..."

"Hm?"

"We all got together to make you this." Aimee said as she and the others helped pull the card from hiding to present it to Lindow.

"!" He was shocked. "H-how did you...? The others...?"

"They have no idea who the card is for but the words are still genuine."

"..." Lindow was touched, even if the card wasn't directly meant for him the gesture still counted. He couldn't help but feel a warmness inside as he read the card.

'I wish for the best. Hope you get better. - Sakuya'

'Hang in there, Champ! - Kota'

'I hope you recover soon. - Alisa'

'Kick that illness's butt! - Yummie'

'May fate shine brightly upon you. - Kamali'

'The will of the warriors keep you strong. - Azuma'

'Keep on fighting, Sport. - Jack'

'Keep your will strong. It'll help you get better. - Ron'

'May you recover soon. - Nonna'

'Get better. - Soma'

'Come out of this alive. - Tsubaki'

'Lindow, thank you for finally giving me the chance for us to talk to each other. We made it this far, and I hope to live on as your God Arc. So keep on fighting so we can live through many more of your happy days, your sad ones, and your fears too as we face them as a team. Get well soon. - Ren'

A scribble of lines were dangling around the side as if trying its best to make a picture, indicating that it was Shio who drew it.

'Keep on resisting, Lindow. You've been able to defy the things you felt were wrong, you can defy this too. - Paylor'

'The others have already said all the good stuff. I'll be strong enough to have your back, so don't run away from living. That's an order. - Aimee'

"I don't believe it... Thanks guys." Lindow said sincerely with warmth. "I can't thank you enough."

"**It's enough...**"

"?"

"**You've rewarded me... more than enough...**"

"Me too," Aimee agreed with Ren. "Just focus on getting better so the others can see you again."

"Right. Thanks guys..."

*** Later that afternoon ***

Aimee was hanging out with Kota before they headed out for their final mission of the day. They were leaning against the Entrance's railing, looking out at the people going about their day as they just talked.

"The world's a sorry place to live now, isn't it?"

"It can be cruelly beautiful at times, yes..." Aimee answered Kota.

"I bet long ago, before... there were Aragami, it seemed like a really peaceful place. I bet there was no life-or-death struggles at all."

"I'm afraid that's not entirely true, Kota. Wars were a common practice among my time, whether minor or national."

"Okay, I admit. I'm just quoting everything I found on NORM. There's bunch of videos from the old generation. Have you seen them?"

"Some of them. But it's like the YouTube of my time, you can't see all of it."

"Yeah? But it's really cool, right? Somebody uploaded all these old TV shows, like Bugurally. I bet back then everyone lived their lives in peace... smiling all the time. You'd go home and your family be there to greet you with smiles on their faces. There'd be lots of laughs at the dinner table; you'd then stay up half the night placing games... And when you went to bed, you'd only have happy thoughts. Like what to do the next day... and then... tomorrow would come, just like that..."

"...Maybe some days were like that, but not all of them..."

"Still, there were probably more days like that back then than there are now. No one dreamed that the future of the world would be so terrible. Well how could anyone have known? It's not like we know what's in store either... not like there's anybody to blame."

"Things like this have no one to point the blame at. You have to get rid of that mindset, Kota, it only leads to tragedy."

"You're right... But if the Aegis Project succeeds, we can go back to the days' pass. Where everyone can live without fear, live happy lives..."

"Fear will always be present, Kota. Everybody faces their fear differently, or finds their happiness and strength through different means."

"Yeah, that's true... Oh, that's right! I'll show you how I face mine. Look at this!" Kota pulled out a small charm that looked like him. "It's a good luck charm my little sister made me... Haha, pretty cute, huh?"

"It's very cute. I'm kinda jealous, I was born a lonely child. You must cherish your sister a lot."

"Yup! And I'm bringing her lots of presents next time I go home for vacation."

"Kota, nashti zhas vorta po drom o bango."

"What does that mean?"

"It means 'you cannot walk straight when the road is bent'. Don't take the path someone gives you, Kota, walk your own."

"Ugh, you keep speaking in riddles... Okay, we better head out now or the Adviser is going to yell at us again. I don't think I'm up to doing a 1000 pushups again."

"What are you talking about, Kota? You're invincible."

"Haha, geez, thanks."

*** That night at the lab ***

The mission at the Infernal Subway went of without a hitch for Aimee and Kota. The Vajra and the Blaze Fallen Gboro didn't stand a chance. They even made it back in time to the meeting with Dr. Sakaki in his lab. Sakuya and Alisa was already there for it, but Soma either had a late mission or was a no show. Either way, Dr. Sakaki had something he wanted to discuss.

"Huh? A name... did you say?" Alisa asked in disbelief that Dr. Sakaki would call them all together just for that. Shio playfully sat on the floor.

"Yes, we can't keep calling her 'this child' is too inconvenient. I just don't have an aptitude for naming things."

"We got that idea from that 'First Love Juice' you invented." Kota mumbled, earning an elbow to the side from Alisa.

"I'd like you to think of a marvelous name in my stead... will you?" It was a farce, Aimee knew that Dr. Sakaki already knew Shio's name. He just wanted to create the opportune for the others to get to know it.

"Will you?" Shio repeated his words, trying to learn. Ren just chuckled at his seat on the couch at the whole situation.

"Ha, tell the truth I'm actually pretty good at this naming business!" Kota said confidently.

"Somehow I find that extremely ominous..." Alisa said with a shiver, but Kota ignored it.

"Let me see... how about... Noromi?"

"..."

"How repulsive." Alisa finally commented through the stupor silence.

"Oh yeah?! Well, you got a better idea?!"

"W-why should I have to...?"

"Aha, you're scared to expose your lack of style, aren't you?"

"I-I most certainly am not! It's... um... um..."

"Shio!" Shio said aloud, interrupting Kota's and Alias banter. And at the same time helping Alisa save face.

"A-actually, I just happened to think of the very same name."

"You are so full of it!" Kota called her out before turning to Shio. "Hey... why don't we just stick with Noromi then?"

"Shio." She said pouting as if to stand her ground on this name.

"Is that... is that your name?" Sakuya asked, noticing this childish stubbornness.

"That's right."

"Well, well, well. It appears someone has already christened this child."

'Brilliant acting, Doctor.' Aimee thought to herself in sarcasm as she rolled her eyes.

"What, no way." Kota said in disappointment before addressing Shio. "Listen, don't you like Noromi better?"

"Yuck!"

"Thanks a lot!" Kota whined comically to everyone's humor.


	27. Chapter 27

Learning

"She's picking up words at an incredible speed, I see. What if she matures at this same speed?" Dr. Sakaki commented to Aimee during her daily visit with Shio and Lindow. However she'd have to visit Lindow at a later time since Kota and Alisa were in the lab too.

"Learning is fun!" Shio cheered.

"That's great, Shio!" Aimee praised, while rubbing Shio's head. "I hope you're able to show me at lot more of what you've learned later on."

"(Giggle) Okay!"

"Ok, Shio. I'm gonna teach you a greeting that you can use anytime. 'Hey fool!' Got that? Easy, huh?"

"Kota! Quit teaching her such ghastly lingo." Alisa huffed at him before correcting his mistake. "Shio! You mustn't pick up such inappropriate words, alright?"

"Alright, we have to go. We've got an early morning epidemic of Kongous at the Tranquil Temple." Aimee told to the two. "I just got an email request from Karel from the 3rd unit, so he'll be joining us. Let's not keep him waiting."

"Ugh, why did they have to do this so early?" Kota groaned as the sun wasn't even up yet.

"Aragami will be Aragami, it can't be helped. Besides... we'll be able to get extra food supply for Shio. That's a win."

"Food!"

"Alright, I've got your back." Kota finally complied.

"Very well, let's get going now." Alisa agreed as they headed out.

*** Later that night ***

Aimee had returned to the lab after a long day. She had learned to balance her extra missions with her Guardians and her main missions with the First Unit. It evened out her attention between the two groups, but it still left her tired out. She had returned to the lab to receive a cheerful greeting from Shio as she sat on the floor and raised her hand to the sky.

"Yo!"

"Yo!" Kota greeted her back the same way but standing up.

"Such a vulgar greeting! Don't teach her to talk that way!" Alisa lectured to Kota.

"Huh? What's wrong with it?"

"Wrong with it!" Shio happily repeated.

"Shio, that's a no-no." Alisa corrected. "You don't want to be an idiot like him!"

"Jeez..." Kota huffed out at Alisa's commented.

"Shio, good afternoon."

"Mm... good afternoon."

"Yes, good job, good job!" Alisa praised her as she rewarded her with pats on the head. Shio happily giggled at the praise and crawled over toward Aimee who greeted her with a warm smile.

"Alisa said 'good job'! It's good when someone says good job right?! What do you think?"

"I think it's a very good thing." Aimee warmly answered her as she bent down to give Shio more rubs on the head. Shio happily giggled at the attention, making the others smile as well.

"She's learned a lot of different words hasn't she." Kota commented to Dr. Sakaki.

"She has. It's partly due to you all engaging her in conversations like this... Even so, she's quite a fast learner, this child. She's survived a dog-eat-dog world all the while armed with such intelligence. She must have been starving... for this kind of communication..."

*** The next day ***

"Ahh, Soma, good to finally see you again." Aimee teased as she came into Dr. Sakaki's lab and saw him sitting on the couch. "Any idea what this summon is about?"

"I just got here myself... Why don't you ask old man Sakaki what's going on yourself?"

Just as he said that, Dr. Sakaki was slipping out of Lindow's room. Refusing to open the crack in the door any wider so as to keep Lindow and the medical equipment from being seen. Soma just wrote the gesture off as Dr. Sakaki over stacking his storage supply again. You'd think that someone as smart as him would keep better order of his stuff. While Dr. Sakaki came out and sat at his computer monitors, Ship popped out of her room as well.

"Hey, you're working hard I hear." Dr. Sakaki said toward Aimee in appreciation. "Thanks to you, she's practically at adult level now."

"I did it!" Shio cheered before bowing to them in gratitude. "Thank you, thank you!"

"Although her speech pattern hasn't changed. Now then, I didn't ask you here to scare you or anything. But it's truly a pressing problem... obtaining Shio's food. I had a stock pile of cores I asked you to gather... But just the other day, I completely ran out."

"What? No way? All those cores, why so soon?"

"She's a growing girl, Aimee. It's practically like having two mouths to feed." Dr. Sakaki said suggestively.

"!" Oh course, how could she forget...? Lindow was eating the cores too. His Aragami Infected arm was like a God Arc now, and it craved for cores on occasions. Slowly it's starting to crave more, Aimee would have to find Lindow's God Arc soon before things get worst.

"I'd like you guys to take Shio on a date. Give her a full-course dinner. I'm counting on you."

"What? Why do I have to go too?" Soma complained before turning to Aimee as she nodded in acceptance to the request. "Don't accept jobs without my permission."

"Ah! That's the authority of a leader! You can't refuse this time can you!"

"Tst, damn you." Soma grunted out as he realized that he couldn't say 'no' now.

"Don't damn someone unless you really mean it, Soma." Aimee said seriously, looking him in the eye. "Or else the consequences could befall them."

"Che, sorry..." Soma reluctantly apologized.

"Alright..." Dr. Sakaki said, getting their attention again. "Once again, I'm counting on you both."

"Thank you!" Shio said to them before turning to Dr. Sakaki. "Hey Doctor, what's a date?"

"Oh, it's a lot of fun."

"A lot of fun... I'm ready to eat it!"

"Then let's get going, Shio." Aimee said, holding out her hand for Shio to take which Shio did happily with a skip. "But let's call it a Play Date. I don't feel comfortable calling it the other thing."

"But why?" Shio pouted.

"Yeah, why?" Soma teased in amusement at Aimee's predicament of embarrassment.

"Because you're too young for a date, Shio." Aimee answered to Shio before giving Soma the eye not to correct her.

"Two is only company, Aimee." Dr. Sakaki teasingly corrected.

"Then we'll add Kota to make it a crowd." Aimee groaned out at the Doctor. "I swear to God, Doc, if you get us on the Amber Alert for this I-I I'll... Ka xlia ma pe tute."

"?" Soma didn't like the sound of that, it didn't help either that Aimee covered Shio's ears when she said it. "What does that mean?"

"Not in front of Shio!" Aimee hissed before lowering her hands from Shio's ears to take her hand again.

"Uh, anyways, you must escort her properly, alright? Especially you, Soma. Got that?"

"Jeez... taking on something so rashly..." Soma complained at Aimee.

"It's in my nature. I can't help what I am."

"Dinner! Dinner! Dinner! Aren't you excited Soma?" Shio cheered as she skipped out, holding Aimee's hand.

"Ugh..."

*** Forgotten Carrier ***

"Good doggie!" Shio cutely cheered at Duke as he helped her finish off The Chi-You, while the others took care of the stray Ogretail. Duke happily barked and wagged his tail as she pat his head.

"Hey, Shio, over here!" Kota called Shio over to them toward the freshly fallen Ogretail. "Come eat this too!"

"Okay, I'm ready to eat!" Shio said, coming over to them. She was about to dig into the Ogretail when she suddenly stopped to turn her head to look toward them. "Oh... wait a minute! Soma, come eat with us."

"!" Soma's eyes widened at the notion.

"Whoa, whoa, Shio. We humans don't eat Aragami, okay?" Kota corrected.

"Huh? But... Soma's Aragami says he wants to eat."

"!" Now that time Aimee's eyes widened up in shock.

She could see Shio talking about how her and Kota's God Arc's soul was partaking in the Aragami and she had hoped that Soma's would join in too. But she did not expect Soma's companion to actually be apart of him, let alone his Aragami side. Aimee had thought Soma's God Arc's soul just had a little unique characteristics about it. Like Kota's was a shy little lady, almost as quiet as a mouse. Aimee found it funny how the God Arc souls had their own God Arcs to devour the Aragami.

But Soma's... Soma's was a little bloodthirsty than most she had bumped into. And it would devour and create his God Arc from his arm like Shio did too. Aimee guessed she should've noticed the strange differences with this one compared the others, even the ashy skin tone and yellow Aragami eyes should've screamed it out. It looked human enough, so Aimee saw no bother at concerning over the differences. He must've been born with Soma at birth, serving more as an inner self than a God Arc. She could even hear what Shio was talking about him being hungry and 'wanting to eat', she had heard it many times before. But she didn't want to bring attention to the elephant in the room.

However, Soma must have heard him too, or at least a mumble of his words. Aimee believed Soma's P73 Bias Factor enhancement made him able to slightly hear the other God Arc, but the stronger Bias Factor made him over-shot in the long run. Most likely making him unable to see the God Arc souls, but still slightly hear them, most likely in the back of his head. He probably stayed quiet about it to seem as normal as possible to others and himself. Especially with his God Arc's soul whispering in his ears, or should she call him Soma's inner Aragami?

"Don't look at me like that! You little... I'm not a monster like you." Soma growled at Shio.

"H-hey..." Kota said to Soma, taken aback by how much anger he put into his words... and the pain behind them.

"Never mind, just... leave me alone." Soma spoke tiredly, draining into a calm as he began to walk off.

"W-wha, Soma, wait!" Aimee called out to him before Shio had walked a little toward him and began to speak her mind, making him stop for a second.

"I was alone for so long. I didn't have anybody. So now... So now I'm happy that I found you, Soma. I'm happy that I found you all. Um... so now... so now... um." Shio tried so hard to find the right words, but she couldn't find them fast enough as Soma walked away.

"Hey, Soma, come back!" Kota called out to him.

"It's no use, Kota. Soma's not coming back." Aimee sighed to him tiredly.

"What's his problem anyway?"

"Soma's got a lot to chew on right now. About himself and his past."

"Wait, do you know something we don't?" Aimee explained to Kota about the Managarm Project and Soma's birth in the easiest way for Kota to understand. Shio patiently waited for them to get done with their conversation as she playfully kicked her feet as she sat on the edge of the bridge. Even still, it was a lot for Kota to take-in in one plate. But in a way, Kota had gotten a better of Soma and why he was the way he was. "I see... I'm not sure about all this. But, I guess he's the original Gods Eater, and the basis for God Arc technology. And so, he thinks that by being born, he killed his own mother too. He's been carrying baggage like that all this time? He shouldn't be so arrogant!"

"It's not arrogance, Kota, it's fear. He's scared of hurting people by being around him, he's pushed them away for so long. He doesn't really know how to be anything else. He may seem rough on the outside, but on the inside he's actually really sweet... and soft."

"Yeah, you're probably right now that now that I think about it. But how do I face him after learning all this?"

"Like the way you normally do. All he really wants is to be treated like everybody else. Don't make him feel more separated by pitying him."

"Aimee, is Soma mad at us?" Shio pouted, most likely meaning was Soma mad at 'her'.

"No, Sweetie. Soma's not mad at you, Shio. Soma's just mad at himself right now, and doesn't know how to deal with it." Aimee said soothingly to Shio, rubbing the top of her head softly as she hugged Shio from behind.

"But... he was so mad."

"I'll have a talk with him later. Just give him time to cool down. He'll come around, I promise."

*** Later that night ***

Soma didn't have to say anything as Aimee entered his room. He didn't even move as she silently went to sit beside him on his couch. She didn't say anything, she just hugged him... and waited...

"... Just looking at Shio, I get the feeling that she's a better human than me."

"Is that the humbleness talking, or the competitive nature?"

"Neither?"

"You can't see humanity as a sport, Soma. People who sees themselves as better humans than others are usually not."

"I can't help it."

"You know... people once thought that humans were the only creatures on this planet to be able to cry tears, an expression to the soul. But I have once seen a Chicken Hawk cry a horrible cry as her eggs were stolen from her nest while she was away stealing other eggs for a meal. Humanity can stretch to far more than just humans, so it's only natural to see the human inside of Shio. Just as we can see the human in you."

"..."

"We look through life as a mirror. We're able to see things in others, but not ourselves."

"Can you... can you see the human in me?" Soma asked, wrapping his hands around her arms.

"As clear as a mountain spring." She softly assured him as she gave him an extra squeeze.

*** The next day ***

It had been a long day for the First Unit and the Guardians, what with the extra missions and the side mission Aimee had laid out for the Guardians. She had not told them to cease their private Lindow searches, she would've told them the truth but she feared that Yummie would be unable to keep a secret. And if she couldn't tell them all, she'd rather not tell them at all than single out even one of them.

By the end of the day, the teams were tired and were ready to call it a quits for the day. While down in the executive levels Dr. Sakaki was on a Skype message with Director Johannes in the UK giving him an update. He took the call in an Office off of the Lab Floor, and out of his Lab. The last thing he wanted was for Johannes to see any... surprises.

"So, how are things going?" Johannes asked.

"All's going well. I've been conducting my experiments; and, the God Eaters have been keeping the Aragami at bay. The same old usual."

"I see... and how is our new Leader doing?"

"She's excelling beyond expectations just as you predicted. I've been keeping her busy with heavy missions, so she keeps on her toes."

"Hmph, don't tire her out too much, Paylor. Most can't keep up with your pace."

"(Chuckle) So I've heard. Anyway, I've sent her out to gather some materials for me. She should be back soon."

"Another one of your experiments? Then I won't hold you for long. I'm planning to stay in the Europe area a bit longer. The search hasn't been fruitful yet."

"I see... I'll hold the fort until your return."

"Doctor, I got those Fallen Kongou parts from the City of Mercy you wanted so bad."

"Aimee, what a surprise. How did you find me?"

"Tsubaki told me you were here. I'm sorry, am I interrupting a call?" She said, noticing the Director on the big screen in the room.

"No, we were just finishing up." Johannes said. "How have you been? I hear Dr. Sakaki has been working you to the bone."

"He has, but it's nothing I can't handle."

"(Chuckle) Good for you. So what have you all been up to since I've been away?"

"We've been big Guinea pigs to Dr. Sakaki new drink ration. And we've been punish for a prank that no one will own up to."

"Heh, I heard about that. I've read the budget report Tsubaki sent. So how is this new ration by the way?"

"It's been getting bad reviews, Sir. I personally think it's delicious, I don't see why others find it disgusting."

"Hm, looks like you been getting some heavy critics on your new product, Doctor."

"Heh, they all can't be winners."

"Hm, indeed."

"How's Europe?" Aimee asked.

"Charming as I remember it. Although I wish the visit was proving fruitful. I've been having to go all over the place, from Branch-to-Branch in Europe."

"If you don't mind me asking, Director, have you run into any... Romani... in any of the Branches? I'd like to know if my people are doing well."

"..."

"Director?"

"Aimee... there hasn't been a Gypsy recorded in Fenrir's records in over twenty years."

"!" Her heart nearly stopped as her eyes widened in shock.

"Your the first Gypsy Fenrir has ever seen or recorded on file. When the Aragami first attacked all of the Europe Branches had closed their doors to them... or that's what they say in their back records."

"..."

"Petty ignorance on their part, they were right to lock these files away in shame."

"..."

"Aimee? You okay?" Dr. Sakaki asked in concern of her stone silence.

"..." She said nothing, putting down Dr. Sakaki's parts on the table in the room and walked out of the room. She was so quiet as she left, even the door shut quietly with her. It was that eery quiet before the storm. But for the moment, Dr. Sakaki thought they were in the clear. "AhhhhhHHHHHHHH!"

Or not... that shout was most likely heard through the whole Den, if not felt.

"..." Dr. Sakaki just simply look toward the door and the storm that laid on the other side of it. "I think I'll have to call you back, Johannes."

"Yes, indeed..."

*** Around the Den ***

All of the Den had heard the loud shout that sounded like the wrathful cry of a Banshee. Alisa and Sakuya had heard it all the way from in their rooms; Kota was in the bathroom and nearly flinched in fear while he was doing his business; Lindow's heart monitored sky rocketed in shock as the cry bolted him awake from in his hidden back room; and Soma... was at the Veteran's snack machines getting a soda when he heard it. The cry nearly made his ears bleed, out of noise and out of pity.

The cry had gotten worse and worse as it formed words. Some understandable, others not. The cries had lead to the stairs and echoed through their levels as others tried to stop the supposed Banshee from continuing on her death cry. But Soma vouched to stay out of it, sometimes it's better not to jump into the fire.

'Aimee, please calm down!' What sounded like the pleading voice of Yummie echoed through the stairway and was picked up by Soma's sensitive hearing.

"!" Aimee?!

'I know you are of upset, and you have every right to be. But acting rash won't solve anything.' Dr. Sakaki tried to reason with her, but it only made the struggling noise increase more.

'Traitors! My Manush, my Natsia! Heartless White Devils. Parno Bengs!'

'Aimee, you mustn't let your anger control you like this. You'll do things you'll regret!" Kamali warned with a hiss as if she was struggling to hold Aimee back. 'Don't let her get to the Hanger, Anzi!'

'Mizhak Dilos! Wretched souls! Khul, khul, khul, KHUL!'

'Control your tongue, this is not like you and it's very unbecoming. There's still a minor in the room.'

'Hey!' Yummie barked in protest of Nonna's words.

"What's going on in here?!" Soma shouted, barging through the Veteran's Floor entrance to the stairway.

"Oh, Soma, good to see you right now." Dr. Sakaki sighed in relief at the sight of Soma. They were one floor level down from Soma. Dr. Sakaki and the PARs stayed back, trying to be the voice of reason while the Guardians and Anzi held Aimee back from going down further. Duke whimpered at the distress of his partner.

"Bloody good time, mate. Do you think you could get your ass down here and GIVE US A BLOODY HAND!" Jack so colorfully asked.

"Aimee, what the hell has gotten in to you?!" Soma barked in shock as he jumped down to help the others. Her head hung low.

"Fenrir is a lie. Fenrir is a lie! They pledged to be protection for mankind, they even Branched off their HQ to protect all over the world. So, why? What made my people so different?!"

"!" Soma was taken aback as her head shot up to look at him, her face a mess with tears falling from her eyes like a Falls.

"What makes my people less human that they wouldn't protect them like they SAID they would?!"

"Aimee, that was a long time ago. People were ignorant, it couldn't be help."

"Yes it could, Doctor! It just takes one voice to say 'this is wrong'!"

"Please, Aimee, they're already sorry for what they've done in the past. Isn't that enough?"

"No, Doctor, it's not enough! And if they were really sorry they'd show those files to the public and announce their shame, not hide it in their closet as if nothing happened!"

"!"

"But I'll make them sorry... I'll make them pay!" Aimee was practically shaking as the venom from her words dripped out of her tongue like acid. "I'm so mad I-I could attack them at their heart!"

"The Scandinavian HQ Branch?! Aimee, you don't mean that!"

"But I'm angry enough to mean that, Doctor."

"Aimee, please, don't become the monster that UN said we are!" Ron pleaded with her.

"Then let me prove them right." Her words were so cold, so different than her usual warmth. There was so much pain in them.

"Aimee!" Azuma and Kamali warned, already knowing what she was about to do as her eyes turned crimson and her hair turned platinum.

"01001101 01100001 01101101-"

"Ah crap!" Groaned out Yummie.

"01100010 -"

"What's she doing?" Soma asked.

"01100001 -"

"She's calling for Mamba!"

"What?!"

"01100000!"

"Hit the Deck!"

"?!" Soma was taken off guard when Yummie had him crashing down on the far side of the stairway, while Nonna did the same for Dr. Sakaki. They all had parted ways from Aimee like the Red Sea. Whatever Aimee had done, something was coming, and it was big.

Deep within the Hangar of the Den, where the Guardians had stored their Carrier when they had arrived, laid a massive Vault that took Anzi a while to carry out. It remained locked to the people of the Den and its scientist. The things inside it were nothing special, just a little bit of toys the Guardians used to get the job done faster, they wouldn't have mind Fenrir seeing inside the Vault if it was just that. But they kept something else inside that Vault... something Aragami biochemical science would pay anything to get their hands on. Something... that was able to unlock the Vault from the inside...

It shot out from the Vault, startling everyone in the Hangar with fright as its liquid-like form made its way to stairway, it's motion so quick for something without bones or a proper container to hold its form or flow of motion. Mamba... was awake.

"Nh, what the hell is that?!" Soma growled as Mamba came flowing into the stairway from the floors below.

It had no solid form, but was still thick enough not to be just considered fluid. It had the form that morph from a form that looked like countless black pixels to numerous black tendrils. It flowed up the stairs like massive water defying physics as it twisted from form to form.

"That's it, come here, boy." Aimee cooed to it as it made its way up to her in a break neck pace. But once it got up to her and rose to its highest peak, instead of consuming her like a tidal wave it open a hole and consumed her like a mouth.

"Aimee!"

"Ah Christ!" Jack groaned out.

"?!" Soma could only watch in shock as Mamba started to take a form. It started as tendrils, but then they started to fuse together to make a solid form. They grew and meshed together to form a giant female with four arms and tendril wavy hair and the body shape of... Aimee. Its eyes opened, crimsons glowed, as it rose off its knees to its feet. "What just happened?"

"She used the Resonance to take full control of the mass of Oracle Cells. It's just like a unique version of the God Arc Soldier theory, maybe even a prototype!" Dr. Sakaki explained in excitement.

"Mamba was bio-genetically designed to follow only the Guardians commands, so as not to contaminate normal people without Oracle Cells. Mamba was pre-designed to not Predatory Select humans as food, but we still kept it under hibernation until needed in use." Nonna explained further. "Mamba can follow anyone of our orders if we summoned it, and only the summoner until they say the task is complete. The only exception is if the highest rank, the Leader, voids the command."

"So none of you can stop this?!" Soma growled.

"Nope, only Aimee." Yummie replied.

"Dammit!"

"**Za!**" Aimee cried out commandingly as she made Mamba jumped up the stairway, toward the roof level.

"Quick, get the Chopper! We mustn't let her leave the Branch!" Dr. Sakaki ordered.

The others were able to get into one of the Hangar Choppers and take off just when Aimee had jumped off the roof. A crater was created as she safely landed on her hands and feet, creating a booming sound and a breeze on impact. Slowly getting back on her feet, she started to run again through the upper and outer ghettos. Avoiding buildings and people as she ran through, ignoring their screams of fright. Her two upper arms move back and forth outward from her body as she ran, with her hands open and straight with the exception of her thumbs like a knife-hand. While her two lower arms stayed inward and fists closed as she ran.

"She's getting away, can you shoot at her?" Yummie asked the pilot as they followed Aimee's sprint toward the Anti-Aragami Wall.

"What?!" Soma barked as if she was insane.

"It won't hurt her with Mamba as long as they're not Oracle Bullets. They'll just help to drive some sense into her." Aimee explained before addressing the pilot. "Now make it rain!"

"Yes ma'am!" The pilot fired all the missile the Chopper had stored, firing at Aimee Mamba like fireworks that consumed her in smoke. There was no motion inside as the pilot circled around the smoke cloud with the Chopper. "Did it work?"

Mamba came charging out of the smoke.

"Guess not!"

"AH!" They all shouted in shock as the pilot had to jerk upward to avoid Aimee Mamba's charging form.

"Crap! She's made it to the wall!" Ron pointed out.

"**ZAAA!**" Aimee Mamba shouted as she leaped over the wall, using her right upper arm as a lever to get the rest of her body over. Aimee was out of the Branch, the Anti-Aragami Wall left undamaged.

"Dammit, we have to go after her!"

"We can't go after her now, Soma! Once she's out there she can keep going as long as theirs an Aragami to recharge her. And from what we've seen so far, Aragami are plentiful." Yummie said as one of Aimee Mamba's arms grabbed a Sariel flying by and ate off its upper half and core, tossing the rest to the side in the wasteland without a care as she continued to run. Thus proving Yummie's point. "We'll have to search for her later when we have more fuel to make the grounds and when we have a solid idea where she's going."

"Tst, Dammit..."

*** A day later ***

"I can't believe we're following this guys theory." Ron said in disbelief. They had gathered into two groups. One with the Guardians: Kamali, Nonna, Ron, and Yummie with their PARs and Duke. And the other with the God Eaters: Soma, Sakuya, Kota, and Alisa. The others had come along once they heard that Aimee went missing. The rest of the Guardians stayed behind, much to the reluctance of Azuma, to look after the Den. Dr. Sakaki had stayed behind, saying that he planned to help in his own way. So there the two teams were now, in a Chopper heading toward a destination in Europe Soma 'thinks' Aimee is at.

"Tst, think about it. Aimee is probably going through the five stages of grief, and she's not the type to be angry for long. So by now the long run would've given her time to cool down and start to feel the grief and sadness. Where would you go if you felt that way?" Soma explained in annoyance.

"Eh? I... I don't know... some place safe, I guess."

"Some place like home..." Yummie sadly answered.

"Hmph," Soma nodded in agreement. "And that place is most likely the last place she called home with her people."

"How do you even know where she lived?" Kota asked him suspiciously.

"Tst, I just know."

"Wait, are you saying you know or you 'think' you know?"

"I just know, okay?!"

"That's not a really reassuring answer, Soma." Alisa pointed out.

"He could be leading us on a giant goose chase for all we know." Nonna huffed out in a monotone voice.

"We could lose time going on this unbacked idea, it might make us too late." Ron growled in complaint.

"No, he's right. She is there..."

"!" They all turned to look at Yummie in shock at her belief in Soma's idea, even Soma couldn't believe that she agreed with him so quickly.

"Aimee is so kind and strong sometimes we forget that she can't be that way all the time. In the end, deep down she's a sad little girl wanting to go home. But... just like me... she has no home to return to...

_It was late at night, and yet again Aimee was unable to fall asleep. The dreams kept waking her at odd hours of the night. They would never give her peace; maybe they'd never let her get over her past. Everything she once knew and loved was gone, and they had gone to a place out of her reach. Aimee continued to toss and turn in her bed, hiding her sadness and frustration in her pillow when she heard the flapping of paper. Looking up from her pillow she saw that it was a photo that had landed on where her pillow would normally rest. It looked to be a photo of a traditional Chinese couple, the woman had her long silky black hair in a bun while the man stared at the camera with cold brown eyes._

_"That's my parents before me."_

_"!" Aimee was taken off guard by the intrusion of the new rookie in her room. Trying to pull herself together, Aimee did not want to show the young girl weakest. But... Yummie had caught her at a bad time. From the looks of things Yummie wasn't in a good place either. Her eyes were so sad, and talked of such sorrows that made the child long since lose the will to cry... "?"_

_"The head of the orphanage told me that my mom left me this picture as a baby to remember them by before they dropped me off. What happened to yours?"_

_"!"_

_"I hear you cry at night. Do you dream about them?"_

_"..."_

_"I know that's why I cry at night sometimes. Thinking of the parents who abandoned me with names I don't even know. Just a last name... a common last name..."_

_"..." Yummie wouldn't even look at Aimee as she sat on Aimee's bed and talk, taking the photo of her parents back from off the bed and staring down at it in her hands._

_"I've been trying to be the best for so long... Trying to get the world to know me. So that maybe... the parents that abandoned me would take me back."_

_"But they're never coming back. I might already have a little brother and not even know it..."_

_"..."_

_"Our families are gone now. And we both don't have any good memories of parting with them." Then Yummie turned to look at Aimee with pleading eyes. "But if you want... we can be a family."_

_"..."_

_"I know me or the others can't replace your real family, but we can help ease each others pain. You can be the big sister, and I promise to be a good little sister..."_

_"..."_

_"I've never known what it's like to have a family... I've been told blood is thicker than water, and nobody gets left behind. But if you don't want to be apart of it, you don't have to. I'd really like it if you did though. You already seem like a big sister to me already at least..."_

_"..."_

_"!" Yummie was happily shocked when Aimee reached the distance to pull her into a warm hug._

_"Thank you, Yummie... I've always wanted a little sibling..."_

_"..." Yummie's eyes slowly softened and a warm smile came over her as she relaxed into the hug._

_"Do you mind... if I cry a little... I don't think I can hold it in anymore..."_

_"You can cry on my shoulder if you'd like."_

_"Thank you..."_

"It may hurt her to return there, but... it's the closest place to home she'll ever be. And the closest place to her happy memories that make her feel safe..."

"..." They all soaked in Yummie's story.

"How much further until we get there, Soma?" Sakuya asked.

"We're already here." Soma answered as the pilot flew over the land once known as France, and the last place of Soma's past-life's memories. "Take us down here, we'll walk the rest of the way."

The pilot landed in the open plain, just outside the forest and the ruin town that laid far behind it.

"Is this the place?" Kamali asked, looking into the forest.

"Yeah..." Soma answered.

"I sense a darkness over this place."

"A lot of dark things happened here. Things that shouldn't have." Soma answered her somberly before addressing the others. "Hey, let's get going."

The others nodded and proceeded to exit the Chopper to join Soma and Kamali. While the others would be away, the pilot planned to refuel at the nearest Branch and head back for them. But as Alisa was about to exit to join the others, Nonna grabbed her arm to stop her from leaving the Chopper.

"?!" Alisa looked to her in shock along with the others as Nonna stared back at her blankly. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"This is as far as we go. We cannot enter this place." Nonna answered.

"W-what? Why should we have to-"

"It would be disrespectful for us to enter that place. The pure Caucasian blood that runs in our veins makes us bare the sins of our people. We cannot disturb the graves of the people we have wronged."

"..." Alisa lowered her head and sadly complied.

"Go on without us. We'll wait for you with the Chopper."

"... Fine." Soma replied, understanding the reasoning behind Nonna's choice. She was sorry for what happened to Aimee and her people that day, and felt it was her obligation to repent for the sins of her pure Caucasian European blood. And now that Aimee's people were denied the right to sanctuary because of their race was making her feel even worse. Most likely Aimee's people were considered dirty and were cast out by all European Branches, including Russia. How many other people were denied sanctuary because of their beliefs, their religions, or their sexual preference? The thought was sickening, and made Nonna disgusted with the blood that flowed through her veins. But it wasn't her fault... and Aimee never blame her or the Caucasian people, Soma knew that. However, it made Nonna feel better about what happened, so she had to do what she needed to do.

"Bring her back..." Nonna request, almost with the hint of a plea detected in her voice.

"Hmph, you can count on us!" Kota assured her, giving her a thumbs up.

"Don't let us down." Alisa lastly said to them before the Chopper took off again.

"Alright, let's go." Sakuya said to the team, readying her God Arc as they entered the forest.

The place seemed haunting for Soma, as if entering a nightmare that he knew like the back of his hand. It made his skin crawl. The others felt that way too as they walked further into the forest toward the camp ground remains. They found it eerily silent as they bumped into no Aragami, or heard any sounds of life in the forest. The whole place was dead. Silent as the grave as if no living creature would dare approach this place.

Once they had made it to the camp they saw how the plant life failed to take over the place even after all this time. And how the sun had faded the color off of the dusty burn damage tents. The place was old and dusty, but still eerily intact. Even the graves barely had any grass growing over them as they remained unmarked, Soma could almost see the faces and bodies that once laid above the graves. It was... painfully horrifying seeing it with his own eyes and body, as if a ghost had come knocking on his door. Things got worse when he came face-to-face with his past-life's family tent.

"Whoa, this place has probably seen better days." Kota commented as he looked around. Noticing Soma frozen at the entrance of one of the tents, Kota decided to tease him before walking on in ahead of him. "What's the matter, Soma? You scared?"

"Tst!" Soma growled at Kota, following after him. Sakuya followed into the tent with them so as to keep them out of trouble.

Soma had lost track of Kota from the many sections of the tent home. Sakuya had busied herself looking around, while Soma found himself going into his old other parents' room. The place looked disarray and scattered about as if they had grabbed what they could before fleeing right away. The turned over furniture told stories of flight and fright, and it made him sick...

"Whoa! Holy Crap!" Kota had shouted from the area that appeared to be... Soma's room.

"!"

"Guys! Get in here quick!" The others had ran into the tent toward Kota's voice, while Soma reluctantly walked into his past-life's room with a heaviness weighing him down. Just as he feared, Kota was holding up the picture of Aimee and him- as Silas... "Check it out, this guy looks totally like Soma!"

"It does! Aside from the hair color, he looks like an exact copy of Soma!" Sakuya agreed, avoiding pointing out their iris differences since she knew how much Soma hated when people pointed out his abnormal features.

"Who is this guy anyway? He's standing beside Aimee. Maybe it is Soma and that would explain his old man hair." Kota teased, but Soma wasn't in the mood to bite.

"Silas... His name is Silas."

"!"

"Silas? You mean the guy Aimee had mistaken you for before?!" Sakuya gasped in shock, seeing how Aimee could easily mistaken Soma for him.

"..."

"Not necessarily mistaken, just rebirth." Kamali corrected without taking her eyes from the photo.

"What?!" Sakuya and Kota gasped.

"Have you ever heard of the belief of reincarnation? We all are recycle on this planet to begin life anew. Depending on their deeds of their past life they are either rewarded or punished. Some rest long before they jump back into the cycle again, others not so much." Kamali explained, looking toward them then Soma.

"!"

"My culture believes in that too." Yummie agreed. "Perhaps this explains a lot about the bond you two have."

"This is insane. But I'd be a fool not believing what I'm seeing." Ron said in flabbergast.

"They say that you regain pieces of your memories from your past-life when in the presence of one of your once owned objects." Kamali explained. "Tell me, Soma. Do you remember anything?"

"... Aimee... actually helped unlocked them... through a Resonance a long time ago..."

"!" All their eyes widened at the news.

"Holy shit, dude." Kota elegantly summed up.

"Why didn't out tell anyone about this?" Sakuya asked upset.

"Because you guys would think I was crazy if I did!" Soma growled.

"It's true... people sometimes have a hard time believing in something unless they see it for themselves." Kamali wisely agreed.

"... Do you mind putting that photo down, please." Soma calmly asked. "I'd like to keep this place the way it was..."

"What? Oh! Sure." Kota complied, putting the photo back down where it was. With that they exited the tent, making Soma feel a little lighter.

"If it's alright with you guys, can you wait here a bit? I know where Aimee might be, but I want to go alone." Soma requested so civilly it caught Kota off guard.

"Whoa, it's eery hearing you be so civil."

"Tst. Please... it's personal..."

"... Alright, but you've got ten minutes." Sakuya allowed. The others would wait for him in that area for ten minutes before they went after him by his tracker.

"Hmph," Soma nodded his head in gratitude before walking off ahead. Refusing to be left behind, Duke followed him. But Soma allowed it.

The walk seemed long and foreboding, just like the last time he walked down this path. His heart was beating like crazy. But he shouldn't be scared, he was stronger now than he was then. It just... felt strange... facing his end. Like having to restart in a game and going back to your last point to seeing your body still their in its death position. As if proving his point, there she laid... just like the last time. Aimee laid on the dirt covered ground on her side, reaching out to the lone grave with one hand as she looked to the grave. Her eyes were so hollow... This is where Silas... where his past-self laid. Who ever buried him, buried him the proper six feet under. The ground was flat and you could hardly tell where the ground had been dug up.

Her curse mark still stained the dirt with its ominous presence, to his disturbance, it looked as if it hadn't aged a day. No rusted browning of the blood, still afresh crimson. It seemed to scream of unspoken dead... and hate...

Soma didn't have to say anything as he approached her, she knew he was there. Running up to her, Duke went to lye down beside her and laid his head comfortingly on her waist.

"Soma... soske?" Her eyes began to come back to life again as they watered up in pain as she whimpered out to him. "Why are humans so cruel?"

"Because we're young and stupid... We still have a long ways to go, but we have the potential to be better. You know this to be true..."

"..."

"Are you still going to attack the heart of Fenrir?"

"No, there's no point... it won't correct the wrong, and it won't make me feel any better. It'll only cause more pain..."

"Where's Mamba?"

"Mamba's out eating somewhere. It'll be back shortly."

"Aimee... get up, let's get out of here."

"I don't want to go back..."

"You can't curl up on the floor here and give up. It's not like you... it's not in your beliefs."

"I just...I don't know what to believe anymore..."

"Don't you dare give up on me. I didn't come all the way here to see you break down like this." Soma growled at her before continuing. "You are so strong, Aimee. So strong that we've all come to rely and depend upon you to have our backs. On the field and off. Don't give up on us just for some idiots in suits... Come back to the Den..."

"Why should I?"

"?!"

"Why should I fight for Fenrir when they wouldn't fight for my people? Why should I ever protect the people who wouldn't even protect mine?"

"..." Soma looked down at her for a second before doing something that he was hesitant to do.

"!" Aimee's eyes widen in shock as Soma went to lye on the grave beside her, just the same way Silas did when she last saw him. Soma slightly flinched at the contact with the dirt, but he sucked up the discomfort and continued on. He took the hand reached out and cupped it to his face while his other hand reached out for her other hand to hold it in between them.

"Because..." He said, looking her in the eyes. "You're better than that..."

"!" Her eyes released the water works. "But Soma... I'm the last of my tribe... I'm the last of my people. I'm all alone."

"You're not alone... not anymore."

"What am I going to do? If I die now, the ways of my people die."

"Then don't die." Soma ordered, giving her hands an extra squeeze. "Don't you dare die on me."

"Soma..."

"Hey... why didn't you... why didn't you mark Silas's- why didn't you mark my grave?"

"Because the others were left unmarked. You wouldn't want the favoritism if the same couldn't be done for the others..."

"Hm, true..."

"..."

"So, are you coming back with us?"

"... Yes."

"Then we'd best get going, the others are waiting for us." Aimee nodded at Soma before he got up and reached a hand down to help her up.

"Soma."

"Hm?"

"Nais tuke..."

"You're welcome."

*** Returning to the Den ***

It was a long, quiet flight back to the Den. Yummie had taken to resting her head in Aimee's lap in comfort, while Aimee rested her head on Soma's shoulder. No one said anything as Aimee gently rubbed her fingers through Yummie's hair and Duke curled around her feet. Aimee was in a vulnerable place at the moment, and needed her space. Mamba had been returned into its Hibernation Chamber Container to sleep in liquid form until summoned once again. Anzi had to carry the Container from and back to the Den, since he was the only one big enough to carry it by himself. Anzi carried the Container back to the Vault along with Kamali the moment they returned.

Returning to the Den's Entrance, Aimee was greeted by welcome backs from the rest of the Guardians and the God Eaters she had grew to know and trust. Retired and not retired. By the time Kamali had returned, Dr. Sakaki had joined the party.

"Good to have you back, Aimee. Feeling any better?"

"I'll live." Aimee answered, embarrassed. "I'm sorry about my behavior before, Dr. Sakaki. It was shameful."

"Yet justified. But enough about that, I have a surprise for you all."

"?" The Guardians looked at Dr. Sakaki curiously as he looked at them with a grin.

"I've been doing some digging around. And thanks to some contacts with Director Johannes, I found an old acquaintance of yours."

"!" Their eyes widened as Dr. Sakaki moved to the side to reveal an old man rolling to them in a wheelchair. He looked to be in his 90s, and his hair and beard was like Santa Claus's, but they still recognized him. "Dr. Nowak!"

The Guardians ran to his side, careful not to touch him. He looked so delicate and breakable at the slightest uncalculated touch. Gathering around him the girls had taken the spot of sitting on the floor at his front sides while holding his hands. Nonna and Yummie gently held his left hand, while Kamali and Aimee gently held his right. The boys had stood by his back sides, settling for placing a hand on his shoulders. Azuma took the right while Jack and Ron took the left. They all looked like a bunch of kids, waiting for story-time from grandpa. Dr. Nowak laughed at their antics.

"(Chuckle) My, well aren't you guys as chip as I last remember you. Makes me feel like an old man."

"Dr. Nowak, you were always an old man." Yummie playfully teased at him with a giggle.

"Oh, I see, I see. Compared to you, I guess I was." Dr. Nowak chuckled, lifting a tired hand out of their grasp to pat Yummie on the head. The girls immediately took his hand back again once he was done.

"But how, Doc? How did you find us?" Aimee asked with joy. She couldn't believe they meet someone from their past again after their long sleep.

"Dr. Sakaki contacted me using my contacts with Johannes."

"And how do you know the Director?" Soma suspiciously asked from his spot leaning on the upper floor's railway.

"You must be Soma? I see you've got your father's eyes." And hers...

"How do you know Director Johannes?" Soma asked again, pushing back the growl at the mention of the Director being his dad. He didn't want to unleash his anger on this old man. He left that one hard wind of frustration would have the old man crumbling in the air into dust.

"Why his mother use to work as my assistant of course."

"!" His grandmother worked alongside Aimee and the others?! It truly was a small world after all...

"She was such a good intern. She kept the secret to the end." Dr. Nowak reminiscently said as he remember the sharp young lady with the serious spring blue eyes and the golden hair. Always ready to learn; always ready to help...

"How is Gertraud by the way?" Aimee asked excitedly at the prospect of another old friend.

"She had a pretty good life. Married her fiancé, had a couple of children all before the first massive wave of Aragami took her life."

"!" They all gasped in shock of the news, their eyes saddened in pain.

"Oh don't you worry. She's well taken care of on the other side. You all just concentrate on fighting the Aragami."

"But-" Aimee said before Azuma continued.

"Our loyalty lyes with you and our fallen Organization. We need you."

"If you'd ask for the moon, we'd find a way to get it for you." Yummie insisted.

"The God Eaters are the ones that awoken you, not I. My time with you has ended, you begin anew with them. They need you now more than I ever could."

"Dr. Nowak..." Kamali sadly called out to him.

"You guys aren't even suppose to be here. Gertraud and I had to defy the UN's orders just to put you to sleep."

"!"

"What... do you mean?" Nonna asked.

"I had been working on the cryogenic plan for a long time back then, in fear that the UN would cross me, just in case. Turns out I was right...

_"You can't be serious about this?!" Dr. Nowak said in disbelief and frustration at the higher ups on the other side of the phone line's orders. He had the line on Speaker so that his assistant, Gertruad, and the other scientist in the room could hear the call._

_"We are being serious. The Guardians' task is done, put them down."_

_"We're not talking about animals here, we're talking about human beings! They're practically children!"_

_"Hmph, monsters is more like it. They've served their purpose, so dispose of them and rid the world of the last of the Aragami."_

_"!"_

_"And get rid of the 'PARs' as well."_

_"... How can you do this to them? After they've given you everything to protect us all, this is how you repay them?! They've sacrificed their childhoods just to fight the monsters you all were too weak to fight, and now you're just tossing them away like trash?! They've served you loyally!"_

_"And now they can preform their final act of loyalty by dying."_

_"You bastards!"_

_"Enough with your sentiments, Doctor. Watch your tongue. The Aragami are gone and we have no more use for your Projects."_

_"How? How do you even know that all of the Aragami are gone?!"_

_"That's irrelevant."_

_"Like hell it is, it's my own damn field!"_

_"Enough, Doctor, or have you forgotten who you take orders from?"_

_"Tst!"_

_"Pack up and shut down. Your Project has been suspended."_

_The line ended, leaving the room in a heavy silence. None in the room tried to talk to Dr. Nowak at the moment as he boiled in silence like a time bomb. Of course he was upset, he was apart of the Aragami Research Project and Annihilation since the Aragami first appeared on the planet. For the UN to terminate their Project so suddenly was a devastating blow. They had already been in stormy waters with the UN since the incident with Seth, now the UN had finally sunk them. The new power put in place was not as tolerant as the old one struggled to be._

_"Well... you heard them... let's pack up."_

_"Doctor?" Getraud called out to him in concern as he nonchalantly gave out that order. _

_"I'll take care of the Guardians..." He said, leaving the room to leave the other scientists to follow his command._

_With a heavy conscious Gertraud had followed after the Doctor as he was going to fulfill his orders, not knowing what he really was going to do at the time. She had been there for the rebirthing of all the present Guardians, and she'd be damned if she wasn't their to see them off at their end. No matter how heart breaking it was._

_Dr. Nowak had all of the Guardians waiting for him in a separate room on the First Floor of the Facility as he took the call. As they both entered the room, the Guardians all stood up from their seats._

_"So what did they say?" Azuma asked._

_"Are we in trouble?" Aimee asked in concern._

_"We're being terminated. They say all Aragami activity has ceased and have been destroyed. Our mission has been labeled as complete."_

_"Well then... what will happen to us?" Yummie asked in nervous concern._

_"You guys are... you're going to have to disappear until the world forgets about your existence..."_

_"?"_

_"I need you all to pack. Store everything you own and want to keep in the chest I left in each of your rooms and meet me back here."_

_They had followed him as ordered, carrying their heavy personal chest of their belonging on their backs as it took them entering into a burst to carry the bulky things. They awaited for Dr. Nowak in back in the waiting room again for his next instruction._

_"Follow me..." They had followed him without a second thought as he lead them into a lab room with multiple pods attached to what seemed to be railway tracks that lead to rooms below them. This area had been closed off to all except Dr. Nowak for years, to finally get a chance to enter it it was kinda a disappointment for them. "Place your chest by the pod designated to you by your rank and get in."_

_"?!" They were hesitant at the odd command, but complied anyway._

_"Gertruad, help me get them in."_

_"Yes sir." She was having a hard time hiding the sadness in her voice so as not to alarm them of what was to come._

_"Doctor?" Kamali asked in concern as he helped her lower into her pod, while Gertraud helped Azuma who was reluctant to get in at the concern in Kamali's voice. The liquid felt strange, and she worried how she would be able to breath._

_"You'll be fine," Dr. Nowak assured to her. "You'll be asleep before the liquid starts to make you feel uncomfortable. It's a preserving mixture, your body will naturally absorb it before it drowns your lungs. You'll be frozen in time until you're awake again."_

_"..." Easing a little, Kamali sunk into the liquid and let Dr. Nowak close the pod on her. Like he had said, she was instantly asleep, all motion in her body had come into a stop as it froze in cryogenic._

_"Will we be together?" Azuma asked as he looked toward Kamali sleeping in her pod, floating in the yellow glowing liquid._

_"You'll see each other when you wake up again. Rest assured, Azuma."_

_"Hm..." Slowly he allowed Gertraud to help lower him in and close his pod. Soon he began to dream as well._

_"Night, Doc. Guess we're taking a nap for a while." Ron said as the Doctor helped him into his pod._

_"Yeah, sweet dreams kid." Dr. Nowak said in farewell to him, he closed the pod on Ron as he fell asleep in the liquid._

_"Ah! It's cold!" Jack complained about the liquid as Gertraud helped him into his pod._

_"Suck it up for now, Jack. It'll change to your body temperatures after a while." Gertraud assured him, slightly lightening up at the feeling of Jack's usual antics. "Try not to dream of wrestling sharks and kangaroos."  
><em>

_"Can't make any promises."_

_"Bye..." She said to him as she closed his pod and he fell asleep._

_"What about our PARs?" Nonna asked in concern, stopping in motion as Dr. Nowak helped lowered her into her pod._

_"They'll be fine, they're naturally ageless."_

_"Hm..." She accepted his answer as she lowered into the liquid, falling asleep as Dr. Nowak closed the pod. As Gertraud was going to lower Yummie into her pod, Dr. Nowak moved over to them to see her off.  
><em>

_"What? You're not going to tell me a story like you use to do before I went to sleep?" Yummie nervously teased as she still lend up in her pod._

_"I haven't done that in years." Dr. Nowak chuckled._

_"Yeah? Well... I'm going to sleep for a long time aren't I? I though I could get one last one in before I take my super nap."_

_"Sorry, Sweetie. We don't have much time for a story."_

_"Really? That's too bad..." She said as she lowered herself into the liquid. She slowly spoke her last words as the liquid was starting to sip into her body and take effect as she tried to stay awake. "Smell you later, Doc..."_

_Waiting for eyes to finally close in sleep, Gertraud had closed her pod. And followed Dr. Nowak to see Aimee off. The lone three empty pods without owners next to Aimee's unsettled them and broke their hearts._

_"How long will we be asleep?" Aimee nervously asked him as he helped lowered her into her pod._

_"I don't know, Aimee. Until the world forgets you ever existed. Or until when it needs you again."_

_"Will I ever see you two again?"_

_"I don't know. Maybe. This is a small world, right?"_

_"But, I don't want this to be a goodbye."_

_"You'll be fine, Aimee. You're so strong, the others will look to you for guidance when they wake up again."_

_"..."_

_"Sweet dreams, Aimee."_

_"Goodbye, Doctor, Gertraud..."_

_"Good night Aimee..." Dr. Nowak said to her as the pod closed on her sleeping body._

"You should've all died that day, when they gave us those cruel orders. But... I couldn't bare to do them..."

"..."

"And that was the last time I ever worked for the UN or as a scientist. The very last time..."

"..."

"I know that... you've all been wronged. Since the moment of your rebirths you guys have gotten the short end of the stick. But please... don't give up on humanity. Don't give up on us all for the mistakes of a selective few... Humans have so much potential, so many great possibilities, if only you'd be patient for them to reach it..."

"..."

"Fight for that potential. Fight for those great possibilities that will be snuffled out if no one stands up to protect them. Please, keep on fighting like you were rebirthed to do. Continued on being Guardians of humanity..."

"..."

"Alright..." Aimee agreed to Dr. Nowak's request, along with the others who nodded. "We'll continue to fight and protect for that little light that still shines and refuses to die out in the darkness."

"That's more than enough..."

*** Days later in Dr. Sakaki's Lab***

After the Den had calmed down, things had return to relatively normal. For the most part...

"Sorry to summon you like this. There's an issue you see... and there's nothing I can do about it." Dr. Sakaki said all of the First Unit and Aimee at what appeared to be something serious. "Would you mind... dressing Shio."

"?" Or so they thought...

"Dress her did you say?" Sakuya asked not believing she had heard Dr. Sakaki right.

"I've tried so many different approaches... but they all ended in failure." He said defeated.

"Stiff and scratchy. No, no..." Shio pouted in child-like stubbornness.

"And that's why she refuses. So I thought of asking help from a woman."

"So then why'd you summon me?" Soma asked in annoyance.

"Because you're-"

"Don't even finish that, Aimee." Soma growled before walking out the room. "I'm leaving."

"I don't see how I could be of any use either. Burgurally was just getting good... I'll leave it to you guys!" Kota said, walking out as well.

"Hey guys, wait, it takes a whole village to raise a child!" Aimee called out to them, but they were already gone.

"Ugh, I can't believe how callous those boys are..." Sakuya groaned out before sucking in a breath. "Alright, let me see if I can't get her to put them on. Shio! Come here for a second!"

"What is it?" Shio asked, coming over to Sakuya.

"Doctor, we're going to use the back room, okay? Alisa! Help me out please."

"Very well." Alisa complied, entering Shio's room with Sakuya. Not wanting to overcrowd them, Aimee stayed out in the lab with Dr. Sakaki.

"I must say, I find Shio's genetic makeup extremely interesting." Dr. Sakaki said to Aimee, making small talk. "That adaptability and diversity might go a long way in creating a future beyond our imagination."

Suddenly an explosion went off in the room the girls were in. Sakuya and Alisa came walking out of the room, coughing with the dust cloud.

"Shio has..."

"Destroyed the wall and fled outside." Sakuya finished for Alisa as they continued to cough.

"Just as I said, beyond our imagination!" Dr. Sakaki said in excitement before turning back to Aimee. "I need for you to do me a big favor right away. Can you bring her back as soon as possible."

"She's completely fine with Aragami poison, but she really hates clothes it seems. Ah... I just found out how terrible an ultra-spoiled child can be..." Sakuya commented, sitting down on the couch in exhaustion. Aimee had to fight the urge to look over toward Lindow's door.

"Hmm... who knew she'd resist clothing? How interesting... Obviously she'll need clothes tailor-made for her..."

"You worked on that. I'll get the boys to help me find her." Aimee said, walking out the lab when just the guys she was looking for came running down the hall toward the sound of the noise.

"What's going on? I was watching Burgurally when I heard a thud." Kota asked in concern.

"Shio's just throwing a tantrum. Come on guys," Aimee said, putting an arm around the two of them by their shoulders. "We've gotta play a game of hide-and-seek."

*** Tranquil Temple ***

After taking care of the Sariel flying around the area, they still couldn't find any signs of Shio. They decided to split up to look around more grounds. That's when Soma sensed Shio in the main temple.

"Hey... are you there?" Soma asked, looking around.

"No... not here!" Shio cutely answered from behind the temple's statue, making him smirk in amusement.

"Play time is over. Let's get back now."

"I don't like that scratchy thing!" Shio pouted.

"(Laugh) When all said and done you're still a monster huh?"

"Soma?" She called out to him, peeking from behind the statue.

"Yeah?"

"Are you still mad?"

"..."

"You were really mad that day, Soma."

"It has nothing to do with you." Soma huffed, looking away from her.

"I did something wrong to you that day. Didn't I, Soma? I don't like feeling scratchy either? I... I didn't do a good job, huh?"

"Listen to you, you sound like a grownup! If I could live like you... live without having to think about myself at all, I'd bet it would be so much easier."

"Soma?"

"Huh?" He looked back at her as she caught his attention again.

"Do you taste good yourself?"

"(Laugh) Hey, why don't you think for yourself for once." Soma laughed as he noticed that she was repeating the same thing the Aragami inside him was repeating. "Well, I guess you could say we're both defects that don't even know who they are."

"Ah!" Shio happily cheered. "So we're the same after all?!"

"I told you - don't ump us up together."

"Let's go find ourselves together!"

"Hey, cut it out..."

"Hey! Shio! Where are you?!"

"Hey, I found them, Kota! In the temple!" Aimee called out, cutting into the corner as she was about to pass the temple. Smile as she ran up to join them. "Ah man, looks like Soma won the game. Means he gets to be it next time."

"Tst, don't make this into a game, Idiot." Soma growled at her as she teased him.

"But it was like a game, and you won. You should be happy with that." She giggled at Soma before turning to Shio to pat her head. "Hey, looks like you two are getting along. Good job, Shio."

"Are you mad?"

"About the lab? No, no one's mad? We just want you to come back."

"Yes... I understand... You guys are our friends- I can sense it."

"Why don't we head back now." Soma groaned out, having enough of the love fest.

*** Poison Butterfly Mission ***

The team had safely gotten Shio back to the Den. And Dr. Sakaki had personally requested from Licca to make custom-tailored clothes for Shio. Which Aimee had to gather the materials for while the boys guarded the lab doors and the girls happily prepared Shio for the new clothes.

So it was much to the Guardians confusion and disturbance when they saw their leader skinning and scalping a Fallen Sariel with her throwing knives, during a mission in the Wailing Plains.

"Uh... Aimee...?" Yummie disturbedly asked as she couldn't find it in herself to look away. It was their first time seeing this Aragami, and Aimee had to chisel the memory in stone by doing a stunt like this.

"What are you doing?" Nonna finally asked as Kamali just watched.

"Didn't I already say - this Aragami reminds me of a Bebearia Sp Nov? I just have to take its dress and headset back with me."

"Uh..." Was all Yummie could say to that as they continued to watch.

*** Hunting Cloak Mission ***

Aimee was almost done, she just needed a few more items out on the field and she'd have all that Dr. Sakaki and Licca needed. The boys could only look on in disturbance as she skinned the two Kongous they had just taken care of, and unscaled the Borg Camlann.

"Seriously, Aimee, this is getting weird." Ron commented as she kept going at a break neck pace.

"Kinda reminds me of home, actually." Jack commented with a grin.

"Is this really necessary?" Azuma asked.

"Never mind me. I just want it." Aimee replied. "This would make a great outfit..."

"Girls are weird..." Was all Ron could say as Aimee kept going.

*** Later outside of Dr. Sakaki's Lab ***

Aimee had finally gathered all the materials they would need and handed them to Dr. Sakaki. Licca had already gotten done completing the outfit, now Sakuya and Alisa were helping Shio put it on. Locking everyone else out in excitement until Shio was ready.

"Did you hear? The girls are gathering in Shio's room. They're not letting me in. Lucky you, I wish I was born a girl too."

"They're keeping me locked out regardless if I'm a girl or not. They're just excited about Shio's new look that they want to make it a surprise." Aimee replied to Kota as they waited near the waiting area with Soma.

"Jeez, why force clothes on someone who doesn't like it... it's stupid..."

"Girls are weird, Soma. They'll make you wear anything if they think it looks good on you."

"Was that the same for your people's women?" Kota asked.

"Tradition was more important than fashion. Especially since we couldn't really shop in the cities."

"Wait, you said they started making Shio's clothes already?" Kota said, coming late to the party. "Whoa! I'd kill to see them right now!"

"Every last one of them, fussing over a trivial thing like Shio's clothes!" Soma grumbled before he spoke to Aimee. "Are you with them?"

"Yes! I can't wait. I had to go out and gather all the damn materials, I damn well better get to see how they turned out."

"Hmm... well, making such a commotion about such a trivial matter is immature of me, I guess." Soma slightly pouted.

"Hey guys, we're done in here! You can come in now!" Sakuya called out into the hall for them, unlocking the lab door.

"It's about time." Aimee cheered as she made her way into the lab with the others.

"Thanks for waiting." Sakuya said to them as they all got a look at Shio's new outfit.

"I can't believe it! She's so cute!" Alisa squealed.

"Aw, she's adorable." Aimee cooed in agreement.

"She looks like a typical girl, doesn't she?" Sakuya commented as Shio looked around in excitement at all the praise.

"Hey, pretty cute! Don't you think so Soma?" Kota asked.

"Yeah, I guess so." Soma replied, finally opening up to the others honestly without biting back.

"Whoa, I didn't expect that kind of reaction."

"You know what, I feel good." Shio happily said before she started to sing. Her voice was so soft and soothing. "Do you know this? It's called a song."

"Huh?" Soma said in surprise that she was actually singing one of the songs on his ipod that she heard whenever she would snatch the headphones from him when he was on watch duty for her.

"That was beautiful, Shio. Well done." Aimee praised her.

"Whoa, that was good." Kota agreed along with Alisa.

"That was amazing, Shio."

"What's that? Was that a good job?" Shio asked.

"Yes, it was." Aimee nodded to her smiling.

"You don't say... I did a good job, huh? That makes me feel good!"

"Music usually does that for you, Sweetie. Songs are made in the heart after all."

"Still, where did you learn to sing?" Sakuya asked Shio.

"Huh? Soma and I heard it together." Shio admitted, putting Soma under the headlights.

"Huh? What?!" Kota said in surprise.

"Well, well, well Soma." Sakuya teased at him in amusement.

"Well now, is that right?"

"Beats me." Soma replied, trying to save face.

"Oh... when did you two get so chummy?" Kota teasingly grinned, happy to finally have Soma open up to people.

Grumbling to himself at their teasing, Soma groaned. "Damn... better to be a loner after all."

"Maybe you guys can give us a concert later. That is if you practice more." Aimee commented to him, referring to his violin playing that he had yet to tell the other unit members.

"Tst, in that case you had better dance to our song if you expect a concert from us." Soma shot back, hoping that she would get embarrassed and back down.

"Hmm, alright, you're on." But she didn't. She only made him blush brighter as she gave him a big smile.

"Give me a break..."

*** Author's notes ***

Ka xlia ma pe tute- literally means 'I am going to shit on you'. Comes from an old Albania insult.

01001101 01100001 01101101 01100010 01100001 01100000- it's just binary coding for the word 'Mamba'. Each space means the starting of a new letter coding. Look up Alphabets in Binary, it should pop up on Google.

Beng- Devil, originally translate 'frog' for Syrian Romani.

Khul- ... shit

Mizhak- wicked

Nais tuke- means exactly what you think it means

Parno- white

Dilo- fool or imbecile

Natsia- a nation' tribe, or race of Gypsy

Za- go

Soske- why

Manush- people


	28. Chapter 28

Time of Temporary Peace

"Good morning, Soma. You seem to be doing better today." Aimee chirped at him as she spotted him when he entered the Entrance through the elevator.

"Huh?"

"Here. It's a home remedy lotion I made from the local herbs I've salvaged." Aimee said, tossing him a bottle of homemade lotion as she snickered. "It'll help with the scratchy feeling."

"I told you - that email wasn't from me!"

"Riiiighhhhht. I don't believe you." Aimee squeaked the last part teasingly as the vein in his forehead began to pop out. trying her best to hold in her laugh.

"Rrr, quit messing around, woman!" Soma growled her in embarrassment as he tried to hide his blush.

"Ahh, you have a point there." Aimee sighed out as she controlled her laughter and the pains from her sides ceased. "I have a meeting with the Director to get to anyway."

"!" Soma's eyes widened in shock at that news. "The Director is back?"

"Yeah, he came back early this morning. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to head down to his office." Aimee said as she headed down in the elevator.

"..." Soma nervously thought of the things that might come at Aimee's interaction with his dad as he watched her disappear behind the elevator doors.

*** Director's Office ***

"Well, hello there. I've been away for awhile, but I heard many reports of your achievement while I was traveling through Europe on business. I can see that you're living up to my expectations. As the Director of the Far East Branch, I'm proud of you."

"Thank you, Sir. That's nice of you to say." Aimee replied back in gratitude. Once again, Duke rested by her foot-side while the meeting went on.

"Now then, since I'm pressed for time, let's jump into the main topic. I summoned you here for a reason. I'll be signing you special missions as unit leader."

"Really?!" Aimee said in excitement. "Finally!"

"Heh, these Special Missions are varied in nature, but they all share a single rule." Director Johannes explained. "That rule being: All Special Missions are to be performed under my direct supervision. Needless to say, that also obtains to the material that you retrieve on duty."

"Whatever, man. I wasn't one for material items anyway." Aimee waved it off as his rules were no trouble to her.

"Please keep in mind that all special missions are of the highest confidentiality. Due to their nature, most will be performed not as a team, but on your own."

'Is it Christmas, or something? I get to pay with all the cool toys and I don't even have to share?' Aimee thought to herself as she happily grinned in increasing anticipation of this mission.

"In return, I shall provide you with the monetary equivalent of the rare items you bring back. I know that you're able to accomplish the most difficult of task, even on your own. Just keep in mind that that's how I accessed you."

"Such a flattery, Sir."

"Each Special Mission is a mark of my trust. The previous leader,Lindow, he... he..."

"?" Something was eating at the Director, Aimee could see it.

"He also served me well. Losing such an able man was a devastating blow to me. But now here you are - someone with the talent to surpass even him."

"I don't know about that one, Sir. But it's nice of you to say."

"I'm counting on you. Give it your best effort."

"You got it, boss." Aimee nodded at him before tapping her leg to signal Duke to get back up again. "Come on, boy. We're leaving to play with the big fish."

Duke barked in excitement and exited the office with her. Happily wagging his tail as Aimee shut the door behind her.

"So he finally summoned you too..."

"Soma?" Aimee was a little surprised to see him waiting for her outside the office, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

"I've just got one thing to say to you. Don't get involved with that guy..." Soma said to her before walking off.

'Funny, that's kinda the same thing Lindow said to me too. More like that other favor he asked me to do...'

_"Hey Lindow, Hibari said you wanted to see me." Aimee said as she went into his room to meet him._

_"Hey, Aimee, I need a favor..."_

_"What is it?"_

_"A new God Eater will be assigned to this Branch soon, probably one of these New-Type God Arc user Fenrir has been talking about. I can't prove it, but our Director seems to be gathering New-Types to the Far East Branch. Which brings me to my request, if he ever says anything about that to you could you let me no?"_

_"Sure, but... wouldn't it be easier if you ask him yourself?"_

_"... Sure. I could just ask him myself, but I find it hard to talk to that guy."_

_"Do you think he's up to something?"_

_"No, no no. No, no, no, no. It's just something I'm curious about. You can do it only if you feel like it. If it's confidential, you don't need to reveal it, but I'll give you a reward for that."_

_"Sure, I'll do the favor. No reward necessary."_

_"Thanks, Aimee. Just keep your eyes open around that guy."_

'Two people have warned me about the Director so far. Make that one more and it'll make it a fact.' Aimee joked around to herself in her head. She'll just keep her guard up, but right now, she had a mission to get to...

*** Wailing Plains ***

"So we finally get to meet this Ouroboros." Aimee said to Duke as they searched the plains for their special target. "It can't be too bad."

But Aimee was given a run for her money as the Ouroboros came marching into their path. Water puddles distorting with each step of the Ouroboros.

"Of My God! It's huge! Ohh, this is going to be fun." Aimee chuckled to Duke in excitement, teasing the Aragami. "Cthulhu!"

The Ouroboros just roared at her in annoyance and marched up to her, ready to attack. Taking the first move, Aimee went to strike right in its eyes while Duke went for its back tendril legs. Her hits were extensive damage, but left her hands slimy eye too. Aimee didn't know who to feel bad for more, her or the Ouroboros who was enraged as she destroyed most of its eyes.

"Here's an evolution tip: Don't surround yourself with an organ that'll make you more vulnerable." The Ouroboros roared at her and swung at her with its tendril arms. "Whoa!"

She was able to dodge the first round, but it kept coming at her like one-two. Smacking her around and leaving her with nasty bruises on her arms. Going the extra mile, it would jump in the air and smack down on her with its tendrils. Unable to block that with her arms, she took the blunt of it and took damage to the back making her sore. Getting herself together, Aimee got back on her feet just in time to dash and dodge the tendril spikes the Ouroboros caused as it thrust its tendril arms into the ground.

"Whoa. You're the first Aragami that's ever made me have to use one of these." Aimee said to the Ouroboros as she popped in a Restore Pill II into her mouth. Feeling a little bit better, she forced a self induced burst onto herself. Hair platinum and eyes crimson ablaze in excitement, she leaped at the Ouroboros. "Let's have some FUN!"

Kicking hard at its face, she broke off its horns, knocking them to the muddy ground. Finally gnawing off its leg armor, Duke had the beast tumbling down. But not before it released a light blast that blinded Aimee while it was down.

"Ah! My eyes! God, it's like seeing an old man in the shower!" She rubbed her eyes sore until the burning light calmed down. Angered, she turned to the Ouroboros with her dry red eyes. "Ugh, you dick! I've only got two eyes, unlike you, you take those out and it's lights out for me!"

Wasting too much time, the Ouroboros had risen on its feet again. Smacking at Aimee with its tendrils. She could not dodge them.

"Err, alright now I'm pissed. Duke!" She called out to her PAR who had bitten into the Ouroboros, experiencing a burst, he shared it with her to give her hits an extra kick. "Eat this sandwich!"

She leaped into the air bombarding the Ouroboros with a combo of hits to the face and finishing it off with hard right hook to the face that sent it tumbling it down. The Colossal had fallen...

*** Returning to the Den ***

"Holy crap, Aimee, what happened to you?!" Kota said in alarm as he and the rest of the unit were greeted by her concerning condition as they were sitting around in the Entrance lounge area.

She was sporting black and purple bruises all on her arms, and her back seemed to be bleeding through her top. Mud covered the bottom half of her dress, staining its snow white color. Her hair was in disarray, and she was sporting a black eye. Soma's eyes began to grow enraged as she look like she had been beaten in a abusive relationship. What kind of mission did they send her on alone to have her come back like this?

"You look like you got ran over by a herd of elephants. Are you alright?" Sakuya asked in concern as the team surrounded her. But she didn't look like she was in pain, in fact she was smiling.

"Best. Day. Ever."

"What do you mean? We have to get you Medical Attention right away!" Alisa said in concern, but Aimee just shook her head.

"No need, I'll just sleep it off."

"But Aimee, your body-"

"It'll heal in a day or two. Now if you'll excuse me, my pillow is calling my name." Aimee yawned and started heading for the elevator. Their was a limp in her steps.

"Woman, just go to the Sick Bay before I drag you there."

"Soma, unless you're offering to give me a back-rub, you'd better back off. I've been having a good day so far and I'll be damned if I'll let some doctor ruin it by sticking a needle up my butt just to tell me to drink plenty of water and get some rest."

"That was pretty graphic, Aimee." Kota awkwardly pointed out.

"But it's true, that's all I need. So Soma, if that massage offer is still on the table..."

"No!" Soma growled in embarrassment.

"Darn. Well... I guess I'll just settle for a nap. Night guys." Aimee waved at them, heading into the elevator with Duke. Who happily followed behind her, waging his tail holding what appeared to look like... a Chaotic Claw... in his mouth...

*** The Next Day ***

It was early in the morning, and Tsubaki had summoned the First Unit for a mission. Aimee was running a little late for sleeping in a little later than usual, so she ran to the elevator. Hoping that Tsubaki wouldn't notice her late entrance. Her bruises were healing, but still gave her an awkward coloring. Her legs and back felt much better now; however, there was still a soreness present whenever she bent. That would go away with time, even though it was inconvenient at the moment with her line of work. But at least her black eye was gone.

She had stumbled into the elevator to notice that Ren was in there too.

"Ren? What's wrong? I thought you were watching Lindow?"

"**It's here... I can feel myself coming closer together. That Aragami is close by.**"

"!" Aimee gasped in shock at the news. Finally some progress, at last, they can get the help that Lindow needs. She had to hide her happiness as soon as the elevator doors open. The First Unit had turned toward the sound of someone entering the floor, staring her down along with Tsubaki. Aimee awkwardly joined the others under her annoyed watchful stare as Ren followed behind her.

"Glad to see that everyone has finally showed up." Tsubaki said, directing it toward Aimee. Then she proceeded on with the meeting. "We've confirmed a signal from today's target. Apparently it's coming from the previous Leader's armlet."

"!" So Ren was right. Aimee turned to Ren to see him nod at her.

"Right now we are investigating it, but most likely it will be your opponent in battle. It may turn out to be a grueling fight, but after evaluating our current capacity. We have concluded the chance of beating this opponent. Don't get swayed by thoughts of vengeance. Make sure you advance with caution, understood?"

"Yes ma'am." Aimee answered.

"Lindow... finally... finally." Sakuya said aloud to herself at the anticipation at finally getting her vengeance. Looking toward Alisa, they nodded to each other in agreement.

"**You'd better keep an eye on them before they get themselves hurt over this vendetta.**"

"Yeah, you're right about that one." Aimee whispered to Ren so no one else could hear her. Turns out Soma's ears were good enough to hear her.

"Huh?"

"N-nothing." Aimee said, hoping he'd look over it. Which he did, assuming that she was thinking aloud to herself.

"Hmph, just be careful out there. I won't be there to have your back, and Kota's not really a good substitute." Soma replied, slightly growling under his throat as he looked upon her still present bruises.

"Hey!" Kota pouted.

"We'll be fine, Soma. You just do your thing."

*** Tranquil Temple ***

Aside from the annoyance of going up the wrong set of stairs; ending up having to chase one of the Vajra down to the other set of stairs because of it; and having to take care of a Frost Fallen Zygote and Fallen Ogretail at the same time. The mission wasn't really that much trouble.

The female Vajra, the Prithvi Mata, had put up more of a fight than the Vajra as they bumped into it on the corner as they went up the last flight of stairs. Aimee was able to dodge its ice stalagmite attack but seemed to always get caught off guard when it would just strike her with its claw. It was like she was forgetting that cats scratch. But aside from breaking off its face and torso armor and it running away to a lower level, the team had taken it down with the maximum of minor scratches.

The others had been checking each of the big cats to see if they were the ones carrying Lindow's signal. But Aimee had Ren by her to tell her otherwise. Even as Duke was devouring the Prithivi Mata's core, Ren had already shook his head, telling her that this wasn't the one.

"Is it there?" Kota asked in nervous anticipation. Ren shook his head again.

"No." Aimee answered for Ren.

"I don't see it." Sakuya agreed as she looked the Aragami's insides over.

"These days the Research Team are so irresponsible." Alisa complained at the empty handed goose chase.

"They weren't wrong, Alisa. The signal was coming from here, somewhere." Aimee stated as Ren moved around toward were his body felt like he was close to his physical form. Suddenly he stopped, toward Section D.

"**There! Up there!**"

"!" Aimee looked up toward the cliff side over the area that Ren was pointing at. Suddenly a roar came from the spot, drawing the others toward. That's when the Aragami decided to reveal itself. "There, that's him. Up there!"

They just stared each other down, man at Aragami and Aragami at man. Seeing enough, the beast decided not to jump down and engage them, but instead walked away... along with Aimee's chances of getting Lindow's God Arc back.

"I guess this means we're going to have to kill it." Sakuya said toward the others before directly addressing the retreating Aragami. "Just you wait!"

"Sorry, Ren, we'll have to get you back another day." Aimee whispered toward Ren.

"**That's fine. I think that Aragami will stay in this area for a while. You just be ready for what you'll have to do once you get my body back.**"

"?"

"**I'll explain it to you later.**"

*** Returning back to the Den ***

The sun had finally risen up when they had returned to the Den. Sakuya and Alisa had decided to whine down after a distressful mission that came out empty handed, hanging out in Sakuya's room over a cup of tea. While Aimee and Kota lounged about the Entrance with a can of soda and a can of First Love Juice for Aimee.

"Hey guys. Early morning mission?"

"Yummie, Ron, what are you guys doing up so early?" Kota greeted to them.

"We just felt like starting the day early." Ron answered before eying their soda. "Hey, you got one of those for us?"

"Yup, drink it up." Aimee said, tossing them both a can of her extra First Love Juice still fresh out of the machine and cold to the touch.

"Alright, Aimee, you're awesome!" Yummie cheered as they happily caught their can and started to chug it down with Aimee and Kota.

"Jeez, I can't understand how you guys can like that nasty stuff so much." Kota said with a slight twitch in his eyes in disgust as he watched them chug it down, remembering its taste.

"Neither can we." Ron honestly answered.

"We just do!" Yummie happily finished off.

They all fell into a relaxing silence as they sat together and enjoyed their drinks. The morning sun had barely started warming the Den with its light when the alarm went off. Kota was instantly up in alarm, all ready knowing what that type of siren meant.

"Aragami! They've attacked the Outer Ghetto again!"

"Right!... This is a job for the Defense Unit." Tatsumi said from his spot be Hibari's desk, ready for action. He was get one flirt in with Hibari before heading out with Brendan when the alarm went off.

"You guys go ahead and fulfill your own mission, okay." Brendan reassured to Kota that they'd get the job done.

"Okay. I'm counting on you, be careful!" Kota cheered for them as they headed out. Somberly addressing the others after they left. "It's happening a lot lately... Aragami invading the Outer Ghetto."

"The Anti-Aragami Wall along the perimeter of the Ghetto hasn't been able to handle the recent changes in the Aragami." Hibari answered Kota's unasked question.

"You mean that thing in the armor called the 'Bias Factor' can't keep up with the changes of the enemy anymore?"

"That's correct. By somehow absorbing the Bias Factor of the new type Aragami, the armor can be reinforced. But..."

"Hey. There IS something! Something we can do to help! Come on guys!"

"Hmph," Aimee nodded in agreement.

"Sure! We'll help protect you're home!" Yummie agreed, knowing the feeling of not having a home to return to and not wanting Kota to have to experience the same thing.

"I wasn't strong enough to save my home. But I am certainly strong enough to save yours now." Ron said in acceptance to help.

"Thanks guys, you're the best!"

*** Infernal Subway ***

"Hey! Over here!" Kota called over to the Vajra on the tracks on the other side of the lava to lure it over. It would've have taken them more time running around to it to get a sneak attack than this approach.

It ran to them, trying to shock them with its bolt spheres once it came over. The Vajra got a good pounce on Aimee but Kota shot it off, earning a sphere bolt in return. Taking a lot of damage, the Vajra decided to make a run for it toward the walkway remains in Section H. Not even sneaking up on it, they all went right into attack. Ron got a good hard blow to its leg armor with his sword, knocking the Vajra to the floor.

"Nice one, Ron!" Aimee complimented as she took advantage of the Vajra's clumsiness.

"Thanks!" Aimee had taken off it's face armor when it tried to run once it got back on its feet, pushing it back. After that, it went down after a couple of hits. Terra and Duke, staying out of the fight - seeing that the others were handling themselves just fine- got in their to devour the core. Like always, Terra was graceful like a deer drinking from a stream or eating grass, while Duke was more like a savage wolf. "Well that's one down."

"I think the other Aragami are near Sector E." Yummie commented, remembering seeing one of the target signals pop up on the tracker when they were fight the Vajra.

"Then what are we waiting for, let's go!" Kota said running out of the walkway area with the others falling behind them.

They had stumbled upon the Chi-You walking around the straight way by the Starting Point with its back turned to them. They just started to attack when the Fallen Chi-You decided to jump into the fray from behind them.

"Ah great!" Yummie groaned.

"It just means we have to try harder, come on." Aimee encouraged before they all started to practically start Kong-fu fighting with the Aragami.

Aimee had decided to go after the Chi-You while the others went after the Fallen Chi-You. It would go down quicker for her than the Fallen Chi-You, and it made the perfect body shield against the Fallen Chi-You's divine sphere bombs. The others had the Fallen Chi-You running by the time Aimee had the Chi-You falling to its knees. Vouching to help her out instead of chasing after the running Aragami, they finished it off. Leaving Duke there to devour the core as they ran after the Fallen Chi-You in Section J.

The others had already weakened it a lot so it only took a couple hits for Aimee to break off its wing armor. It tried to run again, but Kota knocked it to its knees with a couple of shots. Leaving the rest of them to finish it off and Terra to eat the core all before Duke had caught up with them.

"Well, that's done." Yummie sighed out, wiping the sweat off her brow from the heat.

"We still need a little more before the Wall can be fixed again." Kota pointed out. "Come on, guys, let's keep going."

*** Forgotten Carrier ***

"Last one guys! Let's get the job done!" Kota encouraged as they ran at the two Blaze Over tails, Blaze Fallen Cocoon Maiden, and Fallen Quadriga.

They had been out all the day, and the sun was already starting to set. Kota had them fighting out there collecting parts for the wall and bringing it back nonstop, and now they were almost done. Aimee didn't care how intimidating the Fallen Quadriga was, she was going to take care of the small fry first.

Kota had the same idea as well as he fired at the Cocoon Maiden, keeping it off of Aimee while she took care of the first Zygote. Ron and Yummie distracted the Fallen Quadriga with Terra, while Kota and Aimee finished off the last Vajratail and Duke devoured the cores. Joining together, they all took on the Fallen Quadriga. Devastating it with one massive assault...

*** Returning to the Den ***

They had return to the Den, successful after the delivering the needed materials to the Wall's construction. The breach had been secured, and the Outer Ghettos were safe once again. Returning to the Entrance with pride, they were greeted by Tatsumi and Brendan.

"Hey, good work!" Kota greeted them, happy to see them alive and well. "How'd you do?"

"Hey, thanks to the Bias Factor you guys were able to bring home we managed to contain them." Brendan said to them in gratitude.

"Yeah... Although, we did lose a few team members..." Tatsumi sadly said. As a leader, the burden of losing a member weighs heavier of them. Because they will always have in the back of their mind that aching thought 'oh if only I had done this different, maybe they would have survived'. Its cruel and it always giants a leader, not to mention the burden of carrying everyone's life on their team in their hands. Aimee understood what he was feeling perfectly well.

"I see... sorry, if only we gotten it to you sooner..."

"It's not your fault..." Brendan assured to Kota, just happy that he even thought to bring them the Bias Factor at all. It wasn't even Kota's main objective that day. "The E26 area was being hit, so it was mostly houses."

"E26?!" Koma gasped in horror before running off. As if remembering something obvious Brendan popped himself on the head for his fumble.

"Oh, that's right. That's were his family lives, E26..."

"!" The Guardians gasped at this realization, running down the stairs as they tried to catch up with Kota. Running into his room, they found him sitting on his couch. Holding his good luck charm with his cell phone resting on the coffee table. He didn't even look up at them as they entered his room.

"Ah... Mom and Nozomi are safe..." He said to them, making them release a sigh of relief. "The Aegis Project... they've gotta finish it soon. If it means I can protect them... I'm willing to do anything!"

"..." Aimee could understand the feeling behind Kota's words. But it was thoughts like 'that' that lead to disaster.

People fail to see the value of things at times unless it's theirs. Aimee had felt the same way for her people when she had decided to join the Guardians, and again when she decided to help Fenrir but look where that got her. You can't trust others to protect the things you value most, you have to look after it yourself.

But she couldn't tell Kota that... he was in a vulnerable state right now, and had put a lot of hope on this foreign help. Help that he didn't even know how or what it was going to do to help. But it was his security blanket, and she could not bring herself to take it away from him...

*** Tranquil Temple ***

It was late at night, Aimee had taken one final mission for the day alone. Well, not really alone... It was the perfect chance for her and Ren to talk without worry of prying ears.

"Alright, Ren, we're alone. So what's this thing you say I have to do to help Lindow?" She asked him while taking out a Frost Fallen Zygote while avoiding a Gboro's poison cannon balls.

"**Dealing with a Gods Eater with the Aragami Infection. An Aragami Infection is a rapid mutation caused when a Bias Factor supply is cut off. If its spread you'll lose your humanity.**"

"I think we've already established that, Ren." Aimee grunted as she broke off the Gboro's torso armor. Finishing off the Zygote a long while ago, she left it for Duke to devour while she took on the Gboro. She started attacking its weak point in the fins, not allowing it to get back up off its belly or run.

"**A normal God Arc will have no effect on you. The way to deal with an Infected Gods Eater, though not full proof, as you must be a match. Is to use the Aragami-Infected's own God Arc to kill** **them.**"

"Are you asking me to kill Lindow?!" Aimee growled at him, as her angered caused her to drop a heavy hard blow on the Gboro, finishing it off. His words were slowing angering her to put more power into her hits. By the time he was done, she was platinum and crimson. Duke just ate the core as the two of them stared each other out.

Having enough of this staring contest, Aimee decided to run off toward the Gong Tower to finish off a Frost Fallen Cocoon Maiden before looking for the other targets. Ren just followed beside her as she ran.

"**Let's just speak hypothetically... what would you do if he became an Aragami?**"

"..." She remained quiet as she finished off the Cocoon Maiden, leaving Duke to eat it as she search for the target. However, one of the targets came to her as it jumped down from the hole in the house by the main temple. It was easy at first, she managed to kick off its tail armor, offsetting its balance. But things got complicated when the other Fallen Kongou came into play.

"**Your hands are considered lethal weapons. Would you be able to 'kill' that Aragami?**"

"..." His words were distracting her. She was having a hard time focusing on one opponent while dodging the other. She was constantly knocked over by chilling blizzard attacks and dodging out of the way of rolling Aragami. It wasn't helping either that the Aragami would runaway while she was dealing them damage to have to start over with the other one and then it would decided to come back.

"**The choice that Lindow made that day... would you say it led to a happy ending for everyone? And as for you... what kind of choice will you make?**"

"..." Aimee saw Lindow's problem the same way she saw these two Fallen Kongou. You can't win at all if you try to focus on the big picture and take it all on at once. You have to focus on a single target and work your way from there. If they run, fine, they'll come back. Just focus on a new target until they do. And once they do come back, don't relent, finish what you started until it's done.

"**In other words, only you can defeat the monster that wants to devour Lindow. So, I will ask you again, one last time. Can you kill that Aragami?**"

"I will save Lindow, no matter what!" Aimee declared, delivering the final heavy punch on the Kongou she was originally working on. Dropping it dead. Now only one stands, alone... and weaken. Duke was already devouring the fallen one and the last one was on its last toes. Victory was in her grasp.

"**I must say, maybe it's that strong will that let's you succeed in carrying out your beliefs. Which is why I'm going to tell you this one last thing. The only one who knows this truth right now and is able to use Lindow's God Arc safely... is you.**"

"What do you mean 'use his God Arc'?" She asked as she brought the last Fallen Kongou to its knees and finished it off.

"**A non-match God Arc's Oracle Cells will devour you, either by rejecting your Oracle Cells and infecting you or by simply death. At worse you turn into an Aragami and your friends will have to kill you. But... I don't think the same will apply to you, or the other Guardians.**"

"Why is that?" Aimee asked while Duke devoured the last of the cores.

"**You can see us when no one else can. You can hear us, touch us as if we were a normal person. You guys are different than God Eaters, you're the Universal Lining. In the world of blood donors you'd be Type O- and Type AB+ combined into one. I honestly believe you can touch anybody's God Arc without fear of it rejecting your Oracle Cells.**"

"You seem to have a lot of confidence in me, as a Guardian. Are you sure this'll work?"

"**Hmph, I know it will. I honestly believe that things are going to be okay, leaving things in your hand. Now... when the time comes and you find me. I want you to grab me... and take me to Lindow.**"

"What? How will that help?"

"**Using the Resonance, you and I should be able to get Lindow's Aragami-Infection permanently under control. We just need to combine our power to give Lindow the strength to fight again.**"

"... Alright. I trust you, Ren."

"**But please hurry. I get so hungry, trapped inside that Aragami's belly...**"

*** The Next Day ***

Tsubaki had called on the First Unit again, about a sudden urgent mission. Kota had taken leave to go home and make sure that his family was alright, leaving Soma to take his place on this mission. Ren listened in with the others.

"Lindow's armlet is still sending out signals. It must be from an Aragami similar to the one you fought off the other day. As always, forget about your personal feeling and calmly discharge your duties. Understood?"

"Yes." Aimee answered with a nod.

"**Be careful...**"

"I will..."

*** City of Mercy ***

The first one to go down was the target's Pithivi Mata mate. She could try to outrun them, but she couldn't outrun death. The Dyaus Pita was soon to follow next. They had chased it down to the church, but gave no sanctuary as they took it down.

Sakuya began to search the Dyaus Pita's mouth for any clues while Alisa devoured into its body to check inside. Things got intense when Alisa's God Arc's Devouring mouth pulled out Lindow's God Arc, clinching it in its mouth.

"I've... got a hit..." Alisa morbidly confirmed.

"Same here..." Sakuya confirmed too as she pulled out Lindow's armlet from the Aragami's mouth. The supposed confirmation of Lindow's death was devastating for Sakuya... and the others. "There's no question... This is... his."

Sakuya began to cry along with Alisa. The guilt was starting to weigh down on Alisa again. Soma remained and let the ladies grieve while Aimee faded in the background. She eyed Lindow's God Arc with a slight hesitation and slight second guessing. But she couldn't back down now, this was probably the only chance she would have with Lindow's God Arc. Although... if Ren was wrong and things went wrong...

"**Do it.**"

"!" Aimee held in a gasp and turned in alarm, just remembering that Ren had tagged along.

"**If you miss this chance you might never be able to get it again.**"

"..." She was still nervous about the whole thing, especially doing this while the others were still grieving.

"**Now then, take this sword and return it to Lindow.**"

"..." She was about to reach for it, but pulled back half way.

"**You're still wavering? But I thought... you already made up your mind.**"

"..."

"**Decide now or Lindow and others will die. Do you want Lindow to turn into an Aragami and murder his comrades?**"

"?!"

"**Now release him from his vicious circle of inner pain!**"

"..."

"**Hurry! Take his sword and safe Lindow!**"

"Slobuzenja!" Making up her mind, Aimee reached out and grabbed Lindow's God Arc from Alisa's God Arc's mouth. Taking it by its handle and holding a scream of pain as the God Arc brought upon as series of uncontrollable memories due to a Resonance. "!"

"!" The others gasped in shock in panic as she took hold of Lindow's God Arc with nothing but her fighting gloves.

"Leader! What are you doing?!" Alisa screamed.

"Let go of that!" Soma growled at her in fear of what was to happen to her if the God Arc rejected her Oracle Cells. But Aimee felt find for the most part, just a little twitching and dizzy from all the memories that were shooting randomly into her head.

"I'm FINE, Soma, I'm wearing special GLOVES Dr. Sakaki gave me to pick this UP! But DON'T tell anyBODY!" Aimee wasn't proving her case that she was fine when she kept twitching like that.

_"Sakuya. I'm ordering you... make sure you get 'everyone' home alive."_

"They look the same as your usual gloves." Sakuya pointed out, still worried.

"I wouldn't have any other WAY!"

_"Ugh! Massive failure... Not bad. Ugh AhhHHH!"_

"Why does he want it anyway?" Soma growled in concern.

"I don't KNOW, the Doctor's WEIRD!"

_"Ah ugh! AHHHH!"_

"Are you okay, Aimee?!" Sakuya was really worried about Aimee's weird twitching.

"I'm fine, I just got a WEGGIE that I can't FIX!"

_"Ugh! My... arm? Is this my... Arm?!"_

"Ugh, Aimee! We don't need to know that!" Soma growled in embarrassment.

"You guys ASKED! Now let's get BACK!"

Aimee struggled to keep her cool as she followed behind the others back to the Den, Duke following close by her side in concern. She fought hard to walk straight as the Resonance continued to push memories into her.

_"Boy, I'm starving..."_

She broke away from the others as soon as they had returned to the Den's Entrance. Not saying a thing as she headed for Dr. Sakaki's lab, avoiding others as Ren followed her.

_"Huh? No, it's 'I'm hungry'..."_

Dr. Sakaki looked at her in concern as he saw Lindow's God Arc in her hand and the effects it was having on her arm holding it. But she ignored him and stormed into Lindow's room.

"I'm hungry... Ah! GH, AhhhHHHH!"

Taking Lindow's hand, she had fallen into a deeper Resonance...

_"Hey, you... thanks a lot..."_

*** The Resonance ***

"Wha...? Where am I? The Den?" Aimee asked as she looked around at what appeared to look like a negative of the Entrance. Duke was nowhere to be found...

"Well sorta. This is a little different from the usual Den that you know. It's actually my first time here as well."

"Ren, glad you could make it to the party! So if this is not the Den, where are we?"

"I believe this is you and Lindow's... well, strictly speaking, I guess me included... It's our Oracle Cell's neuro-... I mean, hmm... Simply put, we're inside Lindow's mind. There."

"Well that took you a long time to spit out." Aimee chuckled.

"Let me explain what I know. First, the infection of Oracle Cells from Lindow's God Arc has transformed your arm into an Aragami."

"Jesus! What the heck, Ren?!"

"Hey, what's done is done. We need to find Lindow and get out of here. If we stay here for too long, you and Lindow will start to assimilate and your minds will change, or simply disappear. In order to prevent that, we need to wake up Lindow's consciousness, which is a lot weaker than yours at this moment. To be more specific, we need to stimulate the consciousness and memories within the Oracle Cells... the spirit, so to say."

"Ugh, fine. (Sigh) You're lucky you're so cute, Ren, or I'd punch you in the face."

"That's nice to know." Ren said, breaking into a cold sweat at the seriousness in her voice. "Then let's begin by tracing back Lindow's spirit."

"Whoa!" Aimee shouted in surprise as they began to fall into blankness. From the nothingness form Ren's God Arc as the Infernal Subway came into form. Aimee and Ren had touched down into different areas. Running over to Ren's Section, Aimee had come in time to see Ren stumble upon a Borg Camlann the likes of which Aimee had never seen before.

"What is that thing?" Aimee asked as she took it on. Unlike the Borg Camlann, it's legs weren't as weak, so she vouched for attacking its God-Arc-like... claws. They seemed to be the most dangerous, so she would take them out first.

"It's a Susano'o, an Aragami that preys specifically on God Eaters and God Arc. Most of these Aragami were once God Eaters themselves until they got infected. Now they're dangerous beast, preying on their comrades." Ren answered as he fired at it with his New-Type God Arc while dodging its tail.

"And Lindow had to fight one of these?" Aimee asked staying close to the beast to avoid its divine sphere attacks and blocking its tail twirl attack with her arms.

"Alone." Ren answered. The Aragami's claws opened wide into Devouring God Arc mouths, taking a large bite out of Aimee as they caught her off guard. "Aimee?!"

"So, Lindow got to fight this guy alone?" Aimee said aloud to herself, getting back up on her feet and taking a Recover Pill II. Miraculously, the Susano'o's tail missed her by an inch as it came down to try and smash her while she stood still, taking her recovery item. Excited, Aimee went into a self induced burst, with a work. "I'm actually kinda jealous."

"This is not the time to be admiring right now, Aimee."

"Yeah, yeah. Let's just take this guy DOWN!" Aimee said in a battling cry as she right hooked the Aragami in its large jaws, smashing them out of their armor and bashing the Susano'o into the wall in between the tunnel ways. The Aragami was dead and down for the count, Ren went over to it to extract its core.

Once the core was removed, the area around them began to fade into a blank nothing them. Falling into the blankness again, they landed into the Den. Both of them landed into Lindow's room. Sakuya and Lindow where there.

"Lindow!" Aimee called out to him in excitement.

"That's not Lindow, it's just a memory."

"!"

"As I said before, your spirit and Lindow's spirit are mixed up here. That Sakuya there is probably from Lindow's spirit. The Lindow over there is probably from your own."

"Hey newbie old timer! How are you? Getting use to life around here? Hurry up and be strong enough so I can rely on you. I'm looking forward to it, Aimee!" The Lindow said to her as if not looking at 'her'.

"Yeah... he said that to me before."

"Come, let's try to make Lindow aware of himself. Are you ready?"

"Yeah, let's go, Ren." But again, she was caught off guard as the world crumbled around her into nothingness and blankness surrounded them as they fell. "Ren, are you controlling this? Because if you're doing this on purpose, I swear-"

"We're going to fight the Ouroboros that Lindow fought alone saying he was going on a date."

"He fought that?! Tst, fine. Let's get this over with." Aimee complied as the landed on their feet in the Wailing Plains. The rain began to fall down on them as the world came into existence again.

They had to walk around the plain before they finally found the Ouroboros. Aimee grinned at the familiar enemy as she went into an induced burst again.

"Hello, Beautiful, where have you been a my life?" Aimee said at it before attacking. The tendrils were as weak as ever, but it didn't fall down once she broke through its tendril back leg armor. It's eyes weren't as weak as the last one's was either, even with Ren giving Aimee supporting fire to help. "I don't get it. Why is this one stronger than the last one I fought?"

"Because this one is on the verge of evolving into a Fallen Ouroboros."

"Ha! Duke's going to be so jealous for missing out on this." Aimee grinned, stubbornly attacking its eyes until she broke most of them. Once the eyes were vulnerable, the Ouroboros went down, surprisingly easier than the Susano'o. Ren had ran up to it after it had tumbled to the ground to extract the core.

"This is goodbye!" Ren said down to it before his God Arc extracted the core.

Once the core was removed, the world crumbled again into blankness. This time when they had fallen and landed into the Den again, Aimee landed in the Director's Office. While Ren was... somewhere else, Aimee had vouched to go look for him so they could get out of this Resonance soon.

"I won't... ask for absolute... subordination."

"?!" Aimee turned around to look at the Director when he spoke as she was about to leave. He had never said anything like that to her, this must've been apart of Lindow's memories. His eyes spoke of him talking to someone not in the room. "You and I... both wish for the victory of mankind... That's all we want... isn't that right? Good... Then I shall explain... The next Special Mission..."

Seeing that was all the memory was going to say as the words faded, she headed out of the office and toward the elevator. Hopefully, Ren would be in Lindow's room so she was going to check there. And she was right, he was there... with a broken down Lindow just like the way she found him in that old house in the Tranquil Temple area. In the back on his window screen was... it wasn't a screen. It was a live window that lead to a forest that she knew long ago, the rain fell down refreshing the land with its loving kisses from heaven. She didn't have time to remember fond memories now, she had a person to find. And judging by how the memories were meshing, time was starting to run out.

"Go away... now... Leave me... alone." The memory spoke, barely able to get the words out.

"We're getting close." Ren confirmed. "But his words... I think the assimilation is progressing. We need to hurry before your identities mold completely."

"Then let's grab him and bail. This place is starting to get too personal anyway."

"This will be the last place we'll need to go. Lindow's consciousness is trapped inside the church in the Old City. Are you ready?"

"Yeah."

"Let's hurry."

This time instead of the world crumbling into nothingness it burned away by a bright light, that left the two of them in a whiteness again until the light burned that away only to dim into the church in the City of Mercy. A small corrosive leak of a bubble was trying to spew out into the church. The stuff made Aimee's skin crawl, and spoke of corrosive evil in the back of her mind. Without thinking about it, Aimee walked over to it and stomped it away with her bare foot. Even Aimee's foot coming into contact with it made her heart freeze. Going up to her, Ren's God Arc shined a brilliant gold, purifying the area that the corrosive tar was coming from and Aimee's foot.

"We've finally... made it this far." Ren almost sighed in relief.

The purification had left the place in a warming glow, taking away the fear and anxiety that had plagued the place. Looking around the church, they had found Lindow. Resting on the rumble of the close-in exit, looking the same as the day he did before he disappeared. Ren had walked up to him, knelling down to check his pulse and temperature.

"Ahh, good... his consciousness is still intact." Ren turned his head around to look back up at Aimee. "This is the last favor I'll asked of you. Please help me get Lindow out of here so he can fight again another day."

"Right... grab his arm." Aimee instructed, going to support him on her left shoulder while Ren supported him on his right. Lifting Lindow off the floor and on to his feet, they began to carry him.

"Where to now, Ren?" Aimee asked him, looking to him for direction since they had no where to go except out the window. Which Ren was simply looking out of.

"Toward the light." He warmly replied as the light outside started to shine brighter.

"!" Aimee was a little startled when they started to float upward, but began to relax into the lights warming glow.

"We're going home..."

*** Returning from the Resonance ***

Lindow's heart that had went ecstatic through it all had finally calmed to a lull as he had looked to fallen into a more normal peaceful sleep. Leaning over his sickbed, half way on the floor and on the sickbed, resting her upper body on top of him. Aimee had fallen into a more peaceful sleep as well. Holding onto Lindow's God Arc along with him as she had placed it in his hand before the Resonance. A glowing form of yellow Oracle Cells had formed in the back of Lindow's Aragami arm's hand, forever calming his Aragami Infection. They had done it...

*** Author's Notes ***

Slobuzenja - Romani for 'freedom'.


	29. Chapter 29

The Nightmare Returns

Ugh, the world was so fuzzy as she came to. The air burned her noise with the smell of Rubbing Alcohol, and the sounds of machines shot through passed the ringing sounds in her ears. A blinding light up on the ceiling burned her eyes; but with time, everything seemed to simmer down back to normal.

Aimee had found herself resting in one of the beds in the Sick Bay. By her side in the two visitor's chairs was Dr. Sakaki and Ren. Both were relieved that she had finally woken up.

"Oh, have you come to?" Ren asked before Dr. Sakaki unintentionally cut him off.

"Have you come to?" Dr. Sakaki sighed in relief as she weakly moved to sit up on her bed. "Thank goodness..."

"?" Aimee was caught off guard when she was for the first time graced with something that was rarely seen by the Den. Dr. Sakaki's usual cheerful fox-grin, turned into an angry frown.

"Why are you always so reckless? What were you thinking grabbing someone's God Arc like that?" His voice wasn't raised, but she could clearly hear the anger and worried frustration in his tone. "Your body could've rejected the foreign God Arc. You could've been devoured by its Oracle Cells."

"I was under the impression that 'that' wouldn't happen. I had full confidence that I wouldn't get Infected, due to being a 'Universal Oracle Cell Donor'."

"... What?"

"It's a long story, Doc."

"Hm... Well a piece of Lindow's God Arc is stuck in your hand. You could've started transforming at any moment now, but that's not happening since it's not active. Maybe it's because you're an in-between factor of the different P Bias Factor dosages. Either way, you're really lucky things didn't take a turn for the worse."

"Hm..." Aimee looked at the tiny yellow glowing piece embedded into her hand. It had burned its way through her Oracle Cell enhanced glove just to get to her skin. Luckily she had many replacement gloves in her storage and these pair had no sentimental value. Her first pair of gloves were safely preserved in her room. "Looks like I'll be needing new fighting gloves."

"Yeah but this way I can actually fight alongside you now."

"Ren?!"

"What?! What's wrong?!" Dr. Sakaki asked, startled at her sudden outburst, thinking that she was in pain.

"Ren says that he can help me with my missions now. It just startled me... something about Ren feels... different."

"That's because I'm more in tune with you due to the slight Resonance my God Arc piece is having with your body. Not to mention the fact that I'm now closer to my physical God Arc form; so I have a more physical presence to you." Ren explained.

"I see..." Dr. Sakaki responded to Aimee, feeling like he was missing out on a conversation. "Well it's a good thing you've finally woken up, you've had us all worried."

"Surely it wasn't all that bad."

"Aimee, you've been out for three days."

"Three days?! What's going on with my teams?! What did I miss?!"

"Calm down, everyone's fine." Dr. Sakaki reassured her, gesturing for her to stay in bed. "They've all been taking care of your missions while you were recovering."

"Doc, did you-"

"I told the Den that you collapsed from exhaustion." Dr. Sakaki answered the question he all ready knew she was going to ask. Apparently he still felt that it was not safe to reveal the truth to the Den just yet. "Kota and your Guardians came to see how you were doing once, but Sakuya and Alisa have seemed to have locked themselves away in Sakuya's and each others room. They seem to have busied themselves with something."

"Oh..." Aimee replied, slightly saddened and hurt that the girls didn't come to check in on her at least once. Dr. Sakaki noticed that sad tone in her voice, like an abandoned child, so he tried to cheer her up with other news.

"But hey, Soma has been coming to visit you everyday. Sitting by your bedside for at least a half an hour each day before the day's missions begin and after the day's end. It's a relief to see him interacting with others like this. Make's me not have to worry over him as much."

"Really? That's nice..." Aimee smiled at the news, and her voiced warmed up to a soft happiness. But then she turned serious again. "How's he doing?"

"Completely stable and fully recovered, thanks to whatever you did in that crazy stunt you had pulled." Dr. Sakaki answered, already knowing who she was talking about.

"Heh, all in a days work with the Resonance." Aimee lightly teased with a tired breath.

"Oh! I just realized something!" Dr. Sakaki happily exclaimed. Aimee could practically see the light bulb turning on on top of his head. "I think we can convert your Resonance into technology as Sensitivity. I'm not sure if it's even possible yet, but it'll be worth it. Can you come help me out with that when you're free?"

"Maybe some other time, Doc... When I'm not so tired."

"Hm, yes, of course. Take your time, I'm a patient man. You just focus on getting better. You've exhausted your Oracle Cells from that experience, it'll take another day until you completely recover."

"... Would you mind helping me out of here? I'd like to see how he's doing."

"What? You're not going to try and get out of that bed? You are, aren't you?" Dr. Sakaki gasped in disbelief as she stubbornly tried to get out of her sickbed. Her muscles shook in her weakened state, she could barely hold up her weight as she tried to get out of bed. All Dr. Sakaki could do was sigh as he realized that she wasn't going to budge, even for her own good. "(Sigh) Alright. I'll help you out."

"Thank you, Doctor." Aimee smiled at him as he placed a steady had to ease the burden of her own weight.

"But if we're going to do this, we're going to do this the right and 'safe' way. Once you're done, you are going straight back into this bed, young lady. Now stay in bed while I go roll over a wheelchair."

"Alright..."

"Hm, just wait a moment, please." Dr. Sakaki requested as he went over to the far end of the Sick Bay to get a wheelchair. Leaving Aimee and Ren alone to themselves.

"Thank you from the bottom of my heart..." Ren genuinely thanked her for helping him save Lindow. "I made it that far only because of you."

"We made it together, my friend, I was more than happy to help."

"But you didn't have to help... You didn't have to talk to me... or be my friend. But you did... you actually talked to me. It made me feel so warm, I couldn't get enough of it."

"There are still more things in this world to talk about with each other."

"Yes... I'd love that..." Ren warmly replied with a smile. "Oh! And thank you for the Juice. It was delicious; much, much, tastier than Aragami."

"There will be more of that for us to drink together in the future, my friend. Much, much more..."

"Hm, yes... I'd like that... very much..."

"Good...!" Aimee happily smiled at him, before a curious look came over her suddenly. "Hey Ren?"

"Yes?"

"Since you're a God Arc soul with your own God Arc, does that mean your God Arc has a soul as well?"

"... That's an odd thing to bring up so suddenly."

"Well I just remember how you fought with a New-Type God Arc and it made me curious, but we had other pressing issues at the time for me to address it."

"Heh, well... I don't think it works like that. I mean, you're the one that's able to see me and you don't see a soul for my God Arc, right?"

"Yeah but, that might be because my P Bias Factor dosage might be off by the decimal. For all we know there could be a soul there that we cannot see. And what if that Soul has a God Arc of their own? Then it probably has a soul too with a God Arc as well. And it goes on-and-on into infinity."

"I think you're thinking too deep into this. Careful, you'll hurt yourself going so far back into infinity like that. It's probably more like a regular weapon for me, or more like an extension of myself."

"Hm, I guess I can live with that answer." Aimee happily conceded with a smirk when Dr. Sakaki had finally rolled back to them with the wheelchair.

"All right, let's do this properly. In you go then. Easy does it... steady..." He said as he helped her get out of her bed and into the chair. Steadying the chair along with her arms as she struggle to rest herself in it. Ren had also lent her a helping hand, making her seem slightly stronger in Dr. Sakaki's eyes as she finally safely landed into the wheelchair. "There! Now off we go then."

He had rolled her the short distance from the Sick Bay to his lab, with Ren following them by her side. The minor distance had probably helped with her getting Dr. Sakaki to agree to her temporary release. A calming silence had come over them during the short ride. Once he had finally shut his lab's door did they feel safe to talk she looked around his lab, she noticed that the little bundle of energy that use to grace his floor drawing pictures and eating snacks wasn't around.

"Where's Shio?" Aimee grew concerned as a sad worried look came over Dr. Sakaki's face.

"Shio's been... she's been not doing too well I'm afraid. Ever since Lindow's armlet was found... for some reason, Shio's behavior worries me a lot."

"Oh no..." Aimee said in concern as she looked to Shio's room. Dr. Sakaki could've practically see how she was trying to roll over to Shio's room, so he put the little extra force he needed to keep her in place. Aimee was unable to budge was his normal strength due to her weakened state.

"Don't worry about her right now, she's safe in her room right now. Just do whatever you can to make sure the Branch Director doesn't find out she exist. Of course I'll pull what strings I can as well..."

"See that you do what you can to make her feel better."

"Oh I will, but you can visit her another time. Remember, just a quick visit to Lindow. Say what you need to say and then straight back to bed, Missy."

"All right."

"Good." Dr. Sakaki praised to her as she complied before opening the door to Lindow's room. Lindow was looking much better now; and his Aragami arm was no longer wrapped in chains. But what made her happy was the fact he no longer looked like he was in pain as a warm yellow glow came from the large shard embedded in the back of his Aragami hand. "Hey Lindow, you've got a visitor!"

"?!" Lindow turned to the Doc in surprised at the news of a visitor, but his face softened as he realized it was her. "Oh, it's you. You're finally awake..."

"Yeah, apparently." Aimee jokingly chuckled to him.

"I'll leave you two be for now. Try not to take too long, Aimee."

"Kay, thanks Doc." Aimee said to him before he left the room with Ren so that the two of them could talk alone.

"Ren told me about what you did. Damn... I don't believe you... how could you have gone all that way to help me."

"That's what friends do, they look out for each other. Besides, I could've never done that alone. Not without Ren's help."

"Hmph... Well, uh. This feels kinda weird trying to tell you this in person. I honestly didn't think I'd end up owing you this much... I'll be make sure to repay you in all the battles to come. Either way, yeah... Thanks, Aimee."

"Hmph, no problem. Fixing friends is my specialty." That comment got a laugh from the both of them. Once their chuckles dyed down, Aimee began to talk again. "So... how are you feeling?"

"Fine, aside from the feeling of someone calling me in the back of my head, I feel better than ever actually. The Aragami-Transformation has stopped, but my Oracle Cells did not shutdown, so I was able to regain control; which was very unexpected." He answered before looking down at his Aragami-Transformed arm. "My arm now carries materials thought to belong to my God Arc. Instead of going through my armlet, now I can directly communicate to the Artificial CNS."

"CNS?"

"It's the core that makes our God Arcs what they are, it's actually an Aragami with a man-made. God Eaters control their God Arcs through their armlets, using intravenously injected P53 Bias Factor as a catalyst." Lindow explained. "But I don't need an armlet anymore; and, I can create a God Arc with my own arm. Old man Sakaki has been requesting to do some research on me, but I told him not a chance. I'm tired of being others Guinea Pig, or their Lapdogs for that matter."

"Great, Lindow!" Aimee happily said to him, before concern came over her. "But... does this mean... you'll no longer use Ren in battle?"

"Nay, I'll use both of them. The more the merrier. Besides... he's been looking out for me all this time. I would never just abandon my closest comrade and my oldest friend."

"Thank you, that's good to know..." Aimee had let out a sigh of relief she had no idea she was holding in.

"Hmph, but seriously... you two gave me my life back. I can't thank you enough..."

"How could I do anything else, my friend...?"

*** A day later ***

Dr. Sakaki had rolled Aimee back to the Sick Bay, where she had stayed bed written for the entire day. She had tried to stay up long enough, in the hopes of catching one of her visitors. But no one came that day after Dr. Sakaki dropped her off. She had hoped that Sakuya and Alisa would've visited, but she had sadly fallen asleep as neither of them showed up that day.

Even her morning was sightly gray as she woke up to realize nobody came the day before. She knew such thoughts weren't good for her during her recovery, but she couldn't help it... she felt forgotten.

But... that's when... Kota showed up. Honestly, she didn't care who it was. She was just happy to see someone from one of her teams.

"Oh! You're awake... thank God!" Kota said in relief as he noticed her finally sitting up on her sickbed, wide awake.

"Kota! It's good to see you!" She happily greeted him, practically bouncing in her mind as he went to sit in one of her visitor's chairs.

"My bad... you got exhausted, because we've been working you too hard..."

"No, no, Kota. It's none of you guys' fault. I'm the stubborn one who doesn't know when to quit."

"Tsubaki says you should take some time off, since you collapsed and everything. Try not to wear yourself out and get some rest."

"Ugh, but I'm so bored in here..."

"Hey! Since you're stuck in here, I'll lend you the whole Burgurally series!"

"Hm... thanks for the kind gesture, Kota." Aimee chuckled to him as she nodded in gratitude. Just then, Soma showed up. Her mood had lightened a little bit more. Aimee found it funny how Soma made her happy to see him and terrified at the same time. His angry look on his stone face made it feel like rain on a slightly clouded sunny day. Some cultures said that such weather conditions was a sign that God was fighting the Devil, and if the sun out shined the rain God was winning. Others said this was a sign that the Devil was beating his wife. Either way, both meanings were a sign for trouble. She suddenly founded herself slightly sinking under her covers at his presence. "Soma...?"

"Whoa, Soma?! I didn't think it was your style to go on 'Sick visits'!" Kota said in sarcastic shock.

"Tst, can it will you." Soma growled at him, slightly blushing in embarrassment as he crossed his arms in his place at the front door.

"Yikes, alright, you're the boss." Kota jokingly saluted to him before getting up from his seat. "Well, I should be going now anyway."

"So soon, Kota?" Aimee said, slightly pleading for him not to leave her alone with the wrath of Soma waiting to unleash on her.

"I've got a mission to get to this morning."

"Aww..." Aimee whined.

"All right, see you around!" Kota waved at her before passing Soma to the door. "Email me if you need anything!"

"Kay, bye. Be safe..." She gave him a small farewell wave before he had left her alone with Soma.

"..."

"H-h-hey, Soma..."

"Oh, right... so you survived?" He smirked at her nervousness as he came over to stand over her bedside.

"A-aren't you going to sit down...?"

"I prefer standing."

"Oh..."

"Tst, what do you think you're doing, working yourself down like that?" Soma growled at her in irritation and concern.

"Soma..."

"Sure, risk you're life for your subordinates. But don't end up like our former leader..."

"Uh..." Aimee didn't know how to react to that, because Lindow was doing pretty well for himself. But the others didn't know that...

"Think before you act. You're not that easily replaceable." Soma growled at her.

"Aw, so you were worried about me." Aimee had happily concluded by the hidden message behind his words. "Thanks for caring, Soma."

"W-what the?!"

"Ha! You're so cute when you blush like that."

"S-shut up!"

*** The next day ***

Aimee had finally been released from the Sick Bay, where she had returned to active duty. Once she was out of the Sick Bay the first thing she did was return to her room to change her clothes and take a bath. She had been trapped in the same outfit for over three days, she wanted to get ride of that icky feeling she was having. Once that was done, she had immediately went down to Dr. Sakaki's lab to visit Shio.

She was staring at the wall in her room with her eyes in daze. The poor child looked high on crack as she remained unmoving in her spot on the floor. The lack of the child's usual happy energy worried Aimee.

"Hey, Shio..." The sound of her name being called finally made Shio move to turn her head toward Aimee.

"Aimee...you're okay..."

"I'm fine. How are you feeling, Baby...?" Aimee softly said to Shio as she knelled down to her level and gently rubbed her head.

"Strange... Mm... Are you hungry?"

"No, Sweetie, I'm not hungry."

"... I see... Then, I'm happy!"

"I'm glad to hear that. I have to go for awhile. We can go on a Play date with the girls when I get back."

"Okay... come back soon..."

"I will..."

*** City of Mercy ***

"I heard about... you guys finding Lindow's God Arc and armlet..." Yummie sadly pointed out as Aimee and her fought off two Fallen Chi-You in the open area while Nonna and Ron took on the Dyaus Pita. She sounded so sad, and so apologetic at the news.

"Should we call off the Search Missions?" Nonna asked while flipping backwards to avoid the Dyaus Pita's claw before firing at it with her pistols.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that. We found Lindow ages ago, I just wanted you guys to keep searching for his God Arc." Aimee honestly confessed to them without batting an eye. It was like she was commenting that they sky was blue.

"..."

"What?!" Ron and Yummie exclaimed in outrage, putting more force into their attacks from their anger. Yummie's Fallen Chi-You was downed and she had taken to start working on Aimee's in her fury.

"Yeah, we've been hiding Lindow in Dr. Sakaki's lab for weeks now as he slowly recovered. He's doing a lot better now."

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?!" Yummie was fuming, her throw attack with her ring blade tore off the Fallen Chi-You's wing armor and dropped it to its knees.

"I couldn't trust talking to you guys about it while we were in the Den. The walls have ears."

"You had plenty of time to tell us while we were out on missions." Nonna pointed out. She spoke calmly, but the anger could be seen in her merciless shots as she took off the Dyaus Pita's head armor. Yummie was steaming too as she decapitated the last Fallen Chi-You with one of her smaller ring blades. Ron wasn't a happy camper as well, his crushing blows nearly chopped off the Dyaus Pita's paws along with its claw armor. It felt like they had been betrayed.

"I'm sorry guys, I would've told you sooner. But Lindow was in really bad shape and couldn't handle the stress of many visitors. Also, his Oracle Cells have been infected so he lost his right arm to a more Aragami-Infected arm. The Den is not ready to know that he's still alive and well, or the fact that he's changed a little."

"You could've still told us, we would've kept the secret!"

"Pfft, please Yummie. You can't keep a secret when you're excited."

"What?!"

"Well... she kinda has a point there, Yummie. You have given away a lot of our secrets, even mine..." Ron awkwardly pointed out, rubbing the back of his head in defeated admittance while the PARs devoured their targets cores.

"N-no I haven't!"

"Yes, you do." Nonna agreed along with Ron.

"No I don't!"

"It's not your fault. You're just a social bug by nature, you can't help it." Aimee stated to Yummie, coming to her defense. "And I refuse to tell my team a secret if I can't tell them all. I would rather keep the secret to myself than single out a single one of you guys."

"Aimee..."

"But we can't talk about this at the Den, I honestly don't know who we can trust. Tell the other Guardians about this only when you're out on a mission, and 'only' to them."

"Can't we tell Sakuya, or the others in the First Unit?" Ron asked, remembering how heartbroken Sakuya was when Lindow had first gone missing and after they had found his armlet again.

"No... they're not ready to know yet. I think it's best to wait until we know that it's safe to bring Lindow back to the Den..." Aimee said. She hated keeping secrets from both of her teams that trusted her so much, but she also hated favoring one team over the other. So now the First Unit can have their secret about Shio, and her Guardians can have their secret about Lindow. That made things even... but none the less deceptive. "Remember keep this a secret, we've got to keep Lindow safe. I mean it, Yummie, no spilling the beans."

"Ugh, alright, alright! My lips are sealed."

*** Forgotten Carrier ***

The girls had just gotten done taking down a new breed of Kongou. It was stronger than a normal Kongou with its Divine bolts, and it fought like something fierce. But the girls were able to take it down without a problem, using its clumsy footing against it. While the girls waited for Shio to eat up, they stared at the island on the other side of the sea... with the large dome on it.

"It's so big." Sakuya commented. "The key to the Aegis Project, human kinds last hope... Aegis Island."

"How? What exactly are they doing over there?" Aimee asked.

"I don't know, it's top secret." Sakuya looked over toward Aimee and Alisa, noticing that Shio was no longer by the Aragami... but up on the carrier. "Shio... is something the matter?"

"?" Aimee turned toward Shio at the sound of Sakuya's question. How did she get up there? That's when Aimee noticed the glowing Oracle Cell enhanced lines that covered all over her body almost like a tribal tattoo. Shio wasn't answering them, she just kept looking toward the island... almost like in a trance. "!"

"Shio! What's wrong with you?!" Sakuya asked her in concern.

"**It's calling... I want to eat... I want to eat... that's what it's calling.**" Shio answered in a transparent voice. "**Looks delicious...**"

"Shio!" Aimee called out to her in alarm as she fell into the sea.

*** Dr. Sakaki's Lab ***

And so here the girls stood in Dr. Sakaki's lab, tired and disappointed in themselves as Sakuya explained to Dr. Sakaki what happened to Shio that early morning. Duke quietly rested on the couch.

"And then she plunged into the ocean and vanished from sight... is that what happened?" Dr. Sakaki summed up.

"I'm so sorry..." Sakuya guilty apologized for the group. They all felt like it was their fault, they noticed that Shio wasn't doing very well they should've been watching her better when she started acting strange.

"No, no. The most important thing is that you're all safe and sound." Dr. Sakaki assured to them, they already looked beaten down enough they didn't need any extra help from their conscious. "Sakuya, you're sure that the location is at the north end of the carrier, near Aegis Island?"

"Yes... That child... what in the world do you think happened to her?"

"I really can't say at this stage."

"I see... Very well, then."

"At any rate, I might be calling on you to search for Shio. If I find anything, I'll let you know. I hope you'll get some rest now." Dr. Sakaki suggested, noticing the black rings around their eyes. They had stayed out all night looking for Shio after she had plunged int the ocean, and had not returned back to the Den until that morning to sadly report Shio's disappearance to him.

Sakuya and Alisa nodded as they left the lab to get some rest in their rooms. Aimee stayed longer to see if Dr. Sakaki had more to say. After the door closed, his face took on a more serious look than his usual fox-grin.

"Sooner than I thought... This doesn't bode well at all."

"Doctor-" Aimee was going to ask what he meant when her cellphone went off, pulling it out of its stash in the back of her corset she saw that she had gotten a text message from the Director. "Hm... seems that Director Johannes wants to see me in his office right now. I'll be back in a little bit, Dr. Sakaki."

"Alright, I'll tell Soma about Shio while you're gone." Dr. Sakaki would've told Kota as well, but Kota had left the Den on his leave to check-in on his family.

"Kay, that'll make things easier to add to our search power." Aimee agreed as she left Duke to sleep on the couch, since she would be back soon anyway, and left out of the door. The long walk to the elevator to the Executive's Floor wasn't long, but it was tiring. She had been out all night and now she would most likely have a Secret Mission added on to her worries about Shio. If anything she would make this quick and swift so she could continue searching for Shio. Finally making it to the Director's Office, she walked inside and stop at the Directors desk as he waited for her in his seat. His elbows were resting on his desk; his fingers entwined together in front of the lower half of his face. "You wanted to see me, Sir?"

"Mm... I see you have made a full recover after your little exhaustion collapse. I hear that you went right back into action immediately after you were released from the Sick Bay. Good job, I'm glad to see you up and about again. This Den cannot afford to lose fighters like you."

"Thank you, Sir, that was rather kind of you to care."

"I summoned you here for a reason. At this time, I'd like to charge you with a Special Mission, which is your top priority."

"Oh?"

"The other day, the core of a unique Aragami was detected around Aegis Island, near the Pacific coast." Director Johannes explained. "You're mission is to subdue this Aragami, which is thought to possess superior intelligence."

"I see." Aimee was start to lose the usual excitement in her voice than she usual had when it came to Special Missions. She thought she was going to go after another Colossal Type Aragami again, not track down who she thought he wanted her to track down...

"If you do manage to find that Aragami..." He said, leaning back into his seat. "Extract its core immediately, ensuring that it's absolutely intact, and bring it back with you."

"I see..." Now she understood what Lindow meant about the Director. The man was up to something... something that would harm Shio...

"This Special Mission is of the utmost importance and should be given top priority." He explained further, returning back to his original position.

"I'll see what I can do, Sir, but I can't make any promises..."

"Hm, I suppose it'll be much too difficult to launch a search all on your own... So take Soma with you."

"... (Sigh) Alright..."

"That's all I have to say, I wish you Godspeed." Director Johannes dismissed her, she waved him a back-hand-goodbye as she left his office. Making her way back to Dr. Sakaki's lab with a little more energy as the news shot her awake again.

Dr. Sakaki was there where she had last left him, and Soma had made it to the lab while she was gone. He was sitting on the lab's lecture couch as they both turned to the door at her entrance. Surprisingly, Aimee had expected for Soma to just kick Duke off the couch as he sat down, but to her happy shock he just sat in the space around Duke, leaving the tired PAR to peaceful sleep.

"Good to see you so soon, Aimee." Dr. Sakaki greeted to her as his nervous turned into relief as he realized it was only her. "All is well, I hope?"

"Good news, Doc. Looks like Director Johannes did most of the work for us. Let's go pick up Shio before someone else does." Aimee said before turning to address the other guy in the room. "Come on Soma, we have a 'Special Search Mission' to get to."

"Right..." Soma slightly groaned out as he got out of his seat.

"We'll bring her back, Dr. Sakaki." Aimee said to him before going over to finally wake up Duke. He was a little drowsy, but he still complied to his partner's wishes.

"Be safe you two."

"Right," Aimee complied before Soma and her left the lab. As they moved down the hallway toward the elevator, Soma had decided to talk again.

"When we reach the Special Mission destination, can we talk? I need to tell you something." Soma asked as they walked towards their mission.

"Yeah, sure, let's get going."

*** Forgotten Carrier ***

They stared out into the Forgotten Carrier as the sun was about to rise. A beautiful orange had hued the sky and coated their surroundings. Aimee had remained silent and still, waiting until Soma was ready to talk. It took him awhile before he finally said a word.

"... I bet you've already figured this out... but the Aragami with the special core that the Director wants us to find... it's got to be Shio."

"Yup..."

"All my life I've let that S.O.B father of mine send me on these Search Missions. But no way... no way am I going to hand Shio over to that bastard."

"I'm happy to hear you say that news, but... He's still you're father... Can't you talk about him a little nicer...?" Aimee said sadly, the idea of a tension between a father and child's relationship was unbearable to her.

"Hmph," Soma grunted at her before he pointed his God Arc's tip at her face. "Don't get me wrong. I just don't like how he manipulates me and Shio as if we're his goddamn toys, that's all."

"..." Aimee remained unmoving, showing no signs of fear as she looked toward him. Mostly she would never fear him, no matter what he did, and that made Soma a little happy inside. A smirk came over his face as he pulled his God Arc away from her to rest it on his shoulder.

"Come to think of it... I've jabbed you with my sword the first time we went on a mission together too. You were just a stranger then... and now you're a Leader... and so much more..."

"Soma..."

"There's no question she's around here somewhere... but I hear other Aragami are on the loose as well... Don't let your guard down."

"Right... let's bring her home."

They had both jumped off of the Starting Point and headed down the bridge. Once there, they were greeted by a new breed of Quadriga that looked straight out of an Aztec legend. The Aragami was persistent and as tough as nails. Aimee had tried to punch through the Aragami's defenses as she took on her self-induced burst, but its armor was relentless. Her knuckles were beginning to bruise through her efforts.

"Ugh, this Gingersnap's got some crunch to it." Aimee grunted out as they point dodged it's satellite Divine Lasers and its missiles in between attacks.

"What do you think you're doing? Fall back." Soma ordered to her with a frustrated growl as he noticed how her knuckles were starting to bleed through her fingerless fighting gloves. "Leave this to me. You can't damage the Tezcatlipoca's armor."

"Says you. I'll break down its defenses sooner or later. I just have to keep PUSHING!" Aimee shouted as she finally broke through it's chest armor. "Ha! How's that!"

"Ngh, just get them already."

"Alright, sourpuss." Aimee pouted as he wouldn't let her soak in her victory. Once the chest armor was destroyed, the Tezcatlipoca went down without much of a fight.

Leaving Duke to devour its core, they continued on toward the carrier to look for Shio.  
>She wasn't too hard to find, following the trailed of core-less Ogretail corpses. They could hear the faint humming coming from on top of the carrier, leading them right toward Shio. She hummed the song in her head so cutely as she sat innocently around the massacre of Ogretails. Her tune sounded so sweet... and yet so sad...<p>

For the first time in her existence, Shio began to cry. Picking up the startling tear on her finger, she looked at it with curiosity.

"Oh... What is this, I wonder...?" Soon more tears began to escape from her eyes. Not liking the feelings they caused, she began to aggressively wipe them away. "I don't... like this one..."

"Because it's a song of parting, that's why." Soma explained to her, recognizing the song she was humming.

"A song of parting...?"

"I'll never see my loved one again... that's what the words say."

"!" Aimee was taken aback by Soma's explanation, his words pulled a painful cord in her heart. It took everything in her to hide the painful gasp and the hurt from her face... why did the past always come back to break her to pieces again?

"I see..." Shio said in understanding. "But... we did meet again."

"Jeez, that's because I came looking for you!" Soma said in complaint as he tried to hide his embarrassment. Soma was lucky Aimee's heart line was long and thin or else Aimee would be the jealous and possessive type. "Let's go home, Shio."

"Okay," Shio was about to get up when the Oracle Cell lines returned to her body. The experience made her cringe in pain as she curled into her body like a caterpillar. "**Aughhhhh!**"

"!" Aimee gasped in concern.

"Shio! Is it happening again?" Soma asked to her as she got back up to her feet and looked toward Aegis Island, not even addressing them.

"**I've got to go...**"

"Hey, come back here!" Soma called out to her as she started to walk away. "Shio!"

"**...**" She turned her head to look back at him for a second. Suddenly the lines disappeared and she collapse on her feet.

"Hey, what's wrong? Hey!" Soma called out to her, but she was unconscious. Aimee and Soma had made their way up the rubble to her. Checking Shio's condition as they knelled on both sides of her. "Damn! I don't get what's going on, but we're heading back to the Den!"

"Right!" Aimee agreed as she placed Shio gently on her back as they ran back to the Starting Point. Whatever was wrong with her, they would have a better chance at finding out with Dr. Sakaki.

*** The next day ***

Shio had calmed down from her outburst, but was locked into her room until her conditions disappeared. Dr. Sakaki had noticed that Lindow was experience similar symptoms as well. Saying that someone was calling him, and he keep getting dizzy. He kept asking where Aegis was... This did not bode well with Dr. Sakaki.

And to make matters worse, Sakuya and Alisa had somehow made it on Fenrir's Most Wanted List last night. Aimee had to secretly call in Soma and Kota into her room when she had finally got into contact with the girls. They had explained everything... about Aegis Island, about the Ark Project...

"So that's everything we know about the Aegis Project and the Ark Project." Sakuya finished up her explanation. "And that sheet there... is a list of all the people... eligible to board the Ark."

Aimee had printed out a copy of the files once Sakuya had sent to her Terminal. Kota was devastated by the news as he sat on the couch. Soma was unreadable as he leaned on Aimee's window-screen; a foot resting on her wall, and his arms crossed.

"Every single one of our names is on that list." Sakuya continued to explained. "Also, relative to each passenger,up to the 2nd degree will be permitted to board. And one other thing, since we broke into Aegis, Alisa and I have been taken off the list. Even so, if things go as planned, you guys will be on the side of the saved. Whereas Alisa and I are probably fugitives now, as far as the Branch is concerned."

"The Aegis Project... was a lie? But how... how can that be?" Kota said in devastation that the one thing he had put all his hope in to secure his family's safety was a farce.

"I was never going to follow that tyrant's orders anyway." Soma commented with a grunt. "Besides, unlike the rest of you, my body is half Aragami. You really think they'll let someone like me survive in the next world?"

"Soma..." Aimee hated when he would get like this, it would tear her heart out a little.

"Even so, the Director... I mean your father... put your name down on this list." Sakuya pointed out.

"What do I care." Soma grunted out.

"Let me say this one more time... I refuse to allow this boat to set sail." Sakuya said with determination.

"She's right," Alisa agreed on the other line. "We have to stop the Director from carrying out heinous crime! First of all, we're going to stay hidden and find a way to infiltrate Aegis again."

"That's all we thought you should know..." Sakuya said, finishing up. "And I'd like for you all to decide on your own what you're going to do. Don't worry, even if you end up joining our enemies, we won't hold it against you."

"Although if you get in our way, we'll do everything we can to eliminate you."

"Alisa!"

"I'm only joking... But still... if at all possible, I hope that doesn't come to pass."

"I'm going to disconnect now. Think it over carefully... you don't want to have any regrets." And so Sakuya had hung up; Soma had left the room; and Kota still sat in his spot on Aimee's couch. She looked upon him in concern. She knew it was foolish of him to put all his hopes on one thing that wasn't even in his own power. But... that doesn't mean that... she enjoyed seeing him like this. So broken down and so... vulnerable.

"..." She waited for him to speak, not saying a word. She did not want to force him if he was not ready.

"Sorry..." Kota finally spoke, still keeping his head down. "But I'm... I'm going to board the Ark."

"..." She said nothing as he finally looked up at her.

"Hey - I do know what the consequences will be. But now that there's no Aegis Project, I have no other way to make sure that my family is safe."

"..." She waited for him to say all that he had to say as he looked down again.

"I decided long ago... to protect my family, my mother and sister, no matter what it took. That's why I became a God Eater..." Finally he looked back up to her again with determination. "And that's why I'm going to board the Ark."

"... You must trust in your power..."

"?" That's all she said to him as she left the room. She was going to have a busy day that day, now that the Director's plan was coming out. Her First Unit was broken in two, but that doesn't mean that the Aragami will stop devouring...

*** One who Devours Tomorrow Mission ***

Since the Den was in chaos as the Director was summing everyone one-by-one and Kota was off duty for awhile, Soma and Aimee had to handle the Unit's missions on their own. Not to mention gather the food supply to keep Shio stable and calm. Lindow was more manageable for Aimee, she just had to sneak in some beer rations to him while the others weren't looking and Dr. Sakaki would keep him fed with normal food rations. Aimee would even give Ren and Shio some First Love Juice, it seemed to help calm Shio down a lot. Whatever Dr. Sakaki had put in that stuff it was working wonders.

But now here Aimee and Soma stood in the church inside the City of Mercy. Duke stayed behind, to look after Shio, as Aimee and Soma faced off with the legendary Gods Eater Eater Aragami, the Susano'o. Aimee had already faced this Aragami before, unknown to everyone except Ren and Lindow, but they weren't going to tell anybody that. She had already known all its moves and all its weak points. Soma had once had experience with this type of Aragami, but that was a long time ago and he was a little rusty. It took him by surprise to see her facing this new Aragami so flawlessly.

"You seem to be handling yourself pretty well..." Soma pointed out to her as they both dodged the Susano'o's jumping legs. They had already taken out the extra Blaze and Frost Fallen Zygote, so they had the Susano'o all by itself after Soma had extracted their cores. "Have you faced this Aragami before?"

"Not really..." Technically Lindow faced it, and she faced the same one in his mind. But Soma didn't have to know all the details - he'd probably think she was crazy either way. Oddly enough, the one inside the Resonance was much stronger than the one they were facing now. Not even its God Arc claw bites could compare to the other ones. This one was like comparing a stray cat to a tiger, it just didn't seem like a good match up.

"Tst, be honest with me. Did my bastard of a father send you on an Assisted Suicide Mission?" Soma growled at her. Putting up his shield, while Aimee jumped in the air, as they blocked and dodged the Susuno'o's swinging needle tail.

"Assisted Suicide? What kind of mission is that?!"

"Hmph, that's when over excessive amounts of Oracle Cells inside a Gods Eater mutate and trigger an Aragami Infection. The human soul is practically lost as the Gods Eater is driven by the desire to consume. That's what most of these Susano'o once were. It is the task of the Gods Eater Unit Leader to dispatch the Gods Eater if that should ever occur with an 'assisted suicide' and information cover-up' duties."

"What?! No!" Aimee gasped out. "God, Soma, that's terrible! Why would you even think that?"

"Knowing my shit of a father, he would probably send you on missions like that without a second thought, since you most likely could get the job done without having to use the Gods Eater's own God Arc to do the job."

"Quit talking about your father like that! I know the man's not perfect, and he's done some terrible things. But he's still the man that gave you life!" Aimee yelled at him as she broke off the Susano'o's claw armor.

"What the hell do you know about my old man?!" Soma had growled at her in rage that she would defend his bastard of a father. He had delivered a heavy blow on the Susano'o, knocking it down off its legs and out of the way for a while as he faced Aimee. "I've been around him for my whole life, what do 'you' know?"

"Have you? From what I've seen so far, you can't even be in the same room as the man for more than once a month!"

"Quit acting like you know the man! What kind of father sends his own son to fight off Aragami when he's only twelve?! I've never seen that man as my father!"

"At least he's been there for you, you ungrateful brat!"

"Tst, what the hell is so grateful about that?!"

"AT LEAST YOU STILL HAVE A DAD! I NEVER EVEN GOT TO SAY GOODBYE TO MINE!"

"!" Soma was taken aback as she started to cry.

"I didn't get to say goodbye... (Sniffle) When we parted that day. I am never... never going to see him again..."

"..." Her anger had trained the energy out of her, she was so tired.

"Your dad has made some big mistakes and some wrong choices, but he was still there. He's not perfect, but he's only human. You only get one father in this life, and yours is still here. Don't lose him... like I've lost mine, or you'll regret it..."

"Aimee..." Sometimes Soma would forget that she was still a young woman seeking the guidance of her father. But... her father was no longer there to hold her hand through it all. He had even been ripped away from her too early before she had even come this far. It was cruel of him at times to flaunt what he had in front of her like he didn't want it while she would give anything to have it. That was just like him back then, when he wanted a family and friends to fight with; to celebrate the holidays with; and, just create memories with together, when everyone else was just too afraid to be near him. God... he felt terrible.

ROAR!

"!" And how could they forget that the Susano'o was still there? It was back on its feet and angered for being ignored. Bracing themselves, they got ready for another fight when a sword came flying through the church's upper window like a spear from heaven. Impaling the Susano'o with its long blade like a stake in the center of the church, instantly killing it. The light from the window shinning on its corpse. "!"

"Oh God..." This blade... sent a chill down Aimee's spine. It's length was longer than any Galacier Kanata X Soma has ever seen before, and much more colder. Aimee had seen this blade before, once so long ago. And she had prayed with every being inside of her that the world would never see it again.

"Good to see you... Aimee." Came the smooth voice of a man from the window.

"!" Both of them gasped at his presence on the Aragami's makeshift entrance inside the church. Soma was shocked that the man had found his way out there without getting eaten by the Aragami, let alone climb all the way up the church to actually reach that window. But as he looked closer and his eyes adjusted to the light coming from outside, his blood nearly froze as he recognized the man. Aimee knew who he was the moment she heard his voice. His hair was longer than before, rivaling Aimee's length as it reached down below his back, but he still looked the same as the last time she had saw him.

"Seth!" She gasped in shock at his magical defiance of Death.

"You look the same as I last saw you." Seth commented as he looked down at her, slightly smirking. "That's too bad... I was expecting you to be an old hag."

"Same goes for you," Aimee grunted getting into a defensive stance. "You haven't aged a day."

"Hmph, the last of my humanity had been destroyed as I devoured the Aragami throughout these many years." Seth answered as he look off into the distance of the back of the church as if looking at a memory. "Choking it... Corroding it... until there was nothing left, leaving me ageless and fully Aragami."

"You abandoned your humanity for madness?!"

"No..." Seth answered, jumping down as if he were floating as he landed to retrieve his blade from the Susano'o's back. "I abandoned my filth for Divine power."

"How, Seth?" Aimee growled, getting aggressive as he got closer to them to get his blade. "How are you still live?!"

"Hmph, did you really think that bullet could actually stop my Oracle Cells?" Seth coyly mocked.

"!" Aimee was shocked that the shot didn't kill Seth; Soma was just shocked that she actually 'tried' to kill him.

"The fall only temporarily left me incapacitated for a couple of days." Seth continued to explained as he looked at his blade and its shinning tainted glory. "I've been staying in the shadows since then until the opportune moment had arrive to reveal myself to the world again and continue on with my plan."

"And what plan is that?"

"Why the destruction of mankind, of course, little sister."

"You've gone mad!"

"No, I have become one with the world and everything in it. Mankind has destroyed and tainted this planet with their petty squabbles and their greed. The planet is better without them, little sister."

"Don't call me that! You've lost the right to call me that the moment you killed Charlie and all those people!"

"!" So that's why Aimee despised Seth so much...

"Hmph, he was in my way."

"He wasn't in your way, he was trying to make you see reason. You are nothing like the man you once were."

"I will take that as a compliment... and I was hoping that you had change your mind about joining me, little sister. Together, with the others, we can build a new world over this putrid husk that humanity as beaten this planet into."

"Never! AHHHH!" Aimee charged at him, going into a burst as she readied her hardest hit.

"Hmph," but he jumped out of the way, and back onto the church window with his blade in hand. "In time, you still need more time to think about it."

"SETH!" She screamed out to him in rage as her blood red eyes looked up at him from her spot. The colorful lights from the remaining pieces of the broken window, and the light from outside, had shined upon her as she faced her Fallen fellow Guardian.

"The time as come, dear little sister, for the Guardians to guide this world into a new era." Before Seth jumped out of the window, facing them as he leaped back, he said these few final words to Aimee. "Come see me if you and the others change your mind. You know where to find me. Heh ha, heh ha Hahaha hahahaa!"

"Seth!"

"Aimee! Let it go!" Soma growled at her, grabbing her arm as he noticed she was about to chase after him.

"Let go, I have to destroy him." Aimee said before struggling out of his grip again as she cried out toward the window. "Seth!"

"Give it up, Aimee!" Soma barked at her as he was forced to drag her back to the Starting Point, to the Chopper, and all the way back to the Den.

*** A day later ***

A cloud of fear had come over the Guardians at the news of their former Rank 1 still being alive. Soma didn't know what to do as they sat around the Entrance, silent as stone in their fright. Yummie was curled up in a ball in the corner of the railings as she shivered in fear and she buried her face in her arms. Ron and Jack had sat on the railings with their heads down to hide the frighten look on their faces. Azuma and Kamali had sat on the floor by the railings, Azuma in seizan and Kamali in Indian-style, as Azuma comfortingly held an arm around her. Kamali was deep in thought and was closed off from the world around her. Nonna was in a similar state as she lied on the couch like Aimee did on the other side, resting their heads on each others shoulder.

"That devil is alive..." Yummie finally spoke, her voice quivered with fear. "W-w-what are we going to do...? If we don't stop him soon, people will... will get hurt..."

"Do not stress yourself, Yummie. We took him out once, we can do it again." Aimee comfortingly said to Yummie from her spot.

"Yeah, but... you were the only one that could take him down, and he's 'still' around."

"We'll get him this time, I promise. I will not allow the job to be left half done this time."

"But... I'm scared, Aimee... I'm so scared..."

"You'll be alright. I promise... I won't let him hurt any one of you, Yummie..." Aimee assured to her soothingly from her spot, the others couldn't help but believe her from the determination in her voice. "What are big sisters for anyway?"

"Sis..."

"Do you guys mind keeping an eye on things?" Aimee said, gently getting up from the couch so she didn't joist Nonna. "I have to take care of a mission with Duke."

"Alright but be careful, child." Kamali said to her, finally coming out of her thoughts as she looked up toward Aimee. "There is a darkness that draws the Fallen on to this place."

"Hm," Aimee nodded to her before she headed to the elevator to go get Duke from her room.

"Come back soon, Aimee."

"I'll try, Yummie." Aimee said before going into the elevator. As the doors closed, Nonna left her with three words.

"Be safe, Aimee..."

*** Hours later ***

Soma was interrupted from his break as someone had started banging on his room's door. Tired and a little frustration that whoever was on the other side kept hitting at his door even as he was getting up to answer it. Once he got to his door he was going to give whoever was on the other side a piece of his mind.

Angrily, he opened the door only to lose the edge in his anger when he saw the nervous fright in Yummie's face. Kamali and Azuma were waiting for him to answer Yummie's knock, resting their backs on the opposite wall as they waited.

"Ugh, what do you want brat?" Soma groaned out.

"Aimee went out for a mission in the Wailing Plains, we need your help to help get her back."

"She had a mission with that Poseidon Aragami today, didn't she? Aimee can handle herself, she'll be back on her own."

"She went on that mission hours ago and hasn't returned yet." Yummie insisted. "I think... I think she went to face Seth on her own..."

"!" That got Soma's attention.

"She probably went to fight him on her own so the rest of us wouldn't get hurt. Please, we have to get her back before he kills her." Yummie pleaded.

"He wouldn't do that, he's a Guardian like you guys."

"Charlie was Guardian too, and he cut him open like a butcher." Kamali pointed out to Soma.

"!"

"We have to go, now," Yummie started to yank on his jacket's sleeve. "The more time we waste, the less likely we'll bring her back alive."

"Nh, alright!" Soma growled out, yanking himself out of Yummie's grip as he left his room to run toward the Hanger with the others. "Let's go!"

"Right," Kamali and Azuma agreed with him.

"Tst, why the hell didn't she take that Mamba thing with her?! It would've made the fight much easier!"

"Pfft, as if," Yummie huffed at Soma's logic. But Azuma was the one to explain to him why she didn't do it.

"She's going to fight against Rank 1. He could automatically void her control over Mamba and take over, leaving no one to over-ride his command until he ceases himself. Bringing Mamba into that fight is like giving the ultimate weapon to the enemy. And knowing Seth, he would use Mamba like a savage massacre."

"!"

"We have to go now. A storm is coming..." Kamali said.

*** Wailing Plains ***

"So, you finally showed up... Aimee..." Seth said to her, continuing to look toward the raining gray skies as Aimee approached him. The wet ground soaked her feet in mud and her hair weighed down on her as she look up toward Seth from the circular arena around the twister. He had placed himself on top of one of the crumbled buildings outside the arena as he refused to take his eyes off the crying skies to look at her. The Poseidon in the area was long since dead, now it was just her and him. "How did you know I was here...?"

"I took a guess knowing that you'd be attracted to the ruin and the desolation."

"Hmph, how clever of you." Seth mocked with a chuckle. "Have you change your mind about my offer?"

"You know my choice will never change, the answer is no."

"Really? I'm willing to forgive your past transgression against me if you turned to my side, my Guardian sister."

"Heaven is willing to forgive all the sins that you've done, but I am not." Aimee answered as she got into a for defensive stance. "You've fallen too far for me to ever look upon you the same way again."

"Oh? And what of my other Guardian brothers and sisters?"

"They fear you, Seth. But they will never side with you."

"Is that your choice?"

"It is 'our' choice."

"I see... well, no matter. I have survived this long alone without you all, I can survive alone in the new world as well."

"You will never create this new world."

"Oh? And why is that?"

"I will stop you."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Hmph, heh ha HAHA Hahaha!" His shoulders began to shake as he laughed, Seth hissed in a breath of air as his laugh came to a stop. "By all means, Aimee, try."

"AHHHHH!" Aimee cried out as she leaped into the air toward Seth. Changing into a burst as she was airborne, she brought her fist back to deliver the first punch to Seth. But as she was just about to connect her fist with him, a giant mountain lion had leaped in on her from the side. Knocking her away from Seth, and under its weight. Jen... so she survived too... "!"

Aimee had feared what had become of Jen as she leaped into the crack in the earth after Seth. She didn't seem to have fallen into madness like her partner, as she looked down at Aimee with apologetic recognition, but she was still loyal to the death. Loyal enough to remove all obstacles in his path... even Aimee. As Jen was about to bite into Aimee's jugular, Duke had leaped on Jen to knock her off of Aimee. The PARs had a toggle-war with each other as they rolled over the ground, fighting for dominance. Knowing that if any one of them had lost, their partner would be in danger of the other.

While the PARs were busy with their own fight, Aimee had gotten on her feet and continued on with her charge at Seth. But with the wave of Seth's hand a Fallen Sariel and an Aether charged at Aimee at his command. Refusing to waste anytime with them, she jumped in the air to grab both of their heads and bashed them together, destroying their crown armor along with their skulls. Aimee landed back on the ground before the Aragami even fell from the sky.

"I see that you've learned some new tricks over the years, Seth."

"Hmph, indeed I have..."

At last they had met in arms. It was not a fair fight. Seth not only had a range advantage over her, he also had the better, sharper weapon. Aimee had to struggle to get in close to Seth to even land a punch, and even then he would dodge her with ease. It wasn't a fair fight; but, life wasn't fair, Aimee knew that better than anyone. All she could do was dodge his swings and push her way through. His blade was longer than normal, but he was still quick so she'd have to be careful.

"Why, Seth? Why have you fallen so low?"

"Low?" He raised an eyebrow at her as he leaned back from one of her punches. "No, I have risen higher than humanity has ever imagined."

"So you willing threw your humanity away for the pursuit of power?"

"I threw away my humanity long before I desired power. Call my heart hardened, I don't care how high the cost may grow. My will shall still be so, I will never stop until the last mans dead."

"How could you be so cold. All this pain and devastation you've unleashed, how it tortures me inside." Aimee cried out to him as she delivered a crushing blow to the building below her to try and crush him in the falling rumble. "All the innocents that suffered from your insanity and crimes!"

"Hmph, there is no such thing as an 'innocent human'." Seth hissed at her as they both had fallen into the building and had taken the fight in what had once been an office building.

Striking from behind dusty cubicles to catch the other by surprise. The dust cloud they raised didn't help much for their surrounds or their lungs. But the dust did nothing to dilute their Bias Factor enhanced eye sight. Throwing a cubical wall at her, Aimee had kicked it down and out of the way to the surprise of finding Seth right in her face. Grabbing her face, he dragged her along side the other cubical walls, slamming her into the floor afterwards where she slid a good whiles, destroying the floor's tiles.

"Why would you do all this, Seth?" Aimee asked on last time as she got back on her feet, wiping the blood off her lips with the back of her hand. "Why have you betrayed humanity like this? Rose wouldn't want this."

"Humanity betrayed us first, along with Rose!" Seth growled at her. After all these years, Rose was still a soft spot for him. His anger had made distracted, leaving himself open for Aimee to sneak in and land an upper cut on his chin. She had knocked him through the wall and out of the building again, where she had jumped through the hole he had created to catch up to him.

"What are you talking about?"

"Did you honestly think that it was an unfortunate accident that the UN had blown up Rose along with the Aragami?" Seth mocked to her with a venom she hasn't heard from him in a long time. "Do you honestly think it was just a foolish mistake on the Higher-ups parts that they had sent Rose on that mission alone when we were in the area as well?"

"What... what are you saying...?" Aimee didn't like where this was going, but she couldn't afford to lower her guard now.

"They didn't just send Rose out there on her own by accident, they wanted her to be alone!" Seth shouted in rage as he brought blade down, leaving her to only one second to dodge it, in his rage he had split the building in two. As the building was falling apart into two pieces, Aimee had to jump to another damaged building. Seth had followed after her, swinging at her with a deranged technique that had her on her toes. "The people that we fought so loyally for had sent Rose to her death!"

"!"

"They feared us, they feared what we were capable of. So they tried to find a way to get rid of us, while only sacrificing one of us to find out since we were still needed! They couldn't afford to lose their Number 1, so what could be better to try it on than Number 2?!"

"How do you know this?"

"I hacked their files" he said with venom.

'So that's why he destroyed that computer.' Aimee thought to herself before speaking aloud again. "You have to stop this, Seth. Not everyone should have to pay for the sins of a few. You've killed the Higher-ups that have wronged you, you've already avenged Rose. So be done with this."

"No, I have become more than an avenger. I have become an executioner." Seth said with a dark determination. "Humanity has destroyed countless innocents ever since their appearance on this world. And they never learned to stop. Rose was the last innocent I will stand. Humans have become an Infection on this planet, and the only cure is their death."

"... I can't believe you were once a hero to me. You use to give me strength when I first started as a Guardian. You were like a big brother, I wanted to be brave like you." Aimee admitted with sadness before she was filled with hate and rage as she looked at Seth with her crimson eyes. "But now that I look at you, I can see that the Seth I once knew is long gone. You have become nothing more than a husk of what you once were, and have been replaced for a beast. You are nothing but an Aragami to me now and I will stop."

"If you get in my way, I will kill you."

"Sorry, but... I simply can't afford to lose. As the last of the Romani, I refuse to die here."

"You aren't the last Romani, you fool."

"What?" Aimee had gasped at the news, foolish stopping in place in shock. She wanted to believe him, but she feared what it would do to her if he was lying.

"Your people are known as nomads for a reason, they have traveled the abandoned roads and avoided the Aragami and my radar for years now. Different caravans of different tribes, always slipping away from me before I can crush them. Hmph, no wonder your people keep surviving like cockroaches."

"Hey!" Aimee growled at him in rage at what he had called her people.

"Hmph, that was practically a compliment considering how lowly I think of humans."

"Regardless of what you think about them, humans are still living beings. They deserve to live!"

"What use are your gifted powers if you waste them on useless sentimentalism?! You're still weak just like your father!"

"(Gasp) What...?" She squeaked, weakened by the thought of her father.

"Stubborn old man, eventually died from grief before he was even sixty. I knew he was your dad because you had his eyes." Seth explained, enjoying sadness that came over her as her eyes widened with grief. "He always stayed one step ahead of me, keeping his caravan away from me and alive for another day. I'm amazed how he was able to keep the Aragami away from his caravan when the towns with actual defenses and buildings couldn't even stand a chance. Eventually he retired and raised up an apprentice to take his place as Chief. The new guy wasn't as fun as your father was, he was too sloppy."

"... Da...d...?"

"Aimee!"

"!" A voice had called out to her, bringing her out of her daze. But a moment too late as Seth's blade impaled itself into Aimee's stomach. "Gh!"

Time had seemed to slow down, her heartbeat sounded loudly in her ears. Aimee's eyes widen in shock as she gasped like her breath was taken from her. Not even reacting as Seth removed his blade from her slowly, steadying himself by resting his foot on her as he extracted it before he heartlessly kicked her to the ground. Aimee had rolled a bit to the edge of the building, where she had stopped on her back.

Half of her upper body hung over the edge of the building while she looked up to the sky as the rain came down on her. The rain made it look like she was crying as she was frozen in shock, only letting out a few gasping noise in pain. Seth had walked up to her, placing a foot where her wound was and mercilessly pressed down on it. Resting his blade at the side of her neck for a second, he readied himself as he was about to chop it off.

"Nh!" Was all Seth heard before he was forced to jump back as a Buster blade came swinging at him horizontal, trying to cut him in half. He was backed away from Aimee as a boy from his memories came to her rescue.

"It can't be? If it isn't the boy from the caravan massacre. Come back from the dead I see."

"Tst, shut up!" Soma growled at Seth as he got into a defensive stance in front of Aimee.

"Regardless, you're too late to save her. You were too late then, and you are too late now." Seth chuckled at him.

"Grr, you're going to pay for what you did to her, Asshole!"

"Ahh!" Yummie shouted at Seth, moving in before Soma could as she jumped toward him and threw her ring blade.

"Hmph, Aimee was too soft on you, child." Seth said to her as he moved to the side and nonchalantly spun her ring blade on his blade before flicking it to the ground like a hula-hoop. "You lack the will to kill."

"But I don't"

"!" Azuma had silently made his way behind Seth and almost got a good chest blow if Seth hadn't jumped away in the last second. Soma wasn't going to give him a break as he moved in on Seth before he even landed on his new spot. Flipping out of the way, Seth had jumped further back into the desolate city beyond the Wailing Plain arena. None of them would be able to jump as far as him to catch up, his time out in the wastelands had made him something nonhuman. Jen had followed after him, breaking away from her fray with Duke. "As fun as this was, I have other task to do. Things to find, people to destroy. Bye."

And with that he leaped off, fading into the fog and rain.

"Tst, damn bastard!" Soma growled at his retreating path.

"Aimee?! She's not healing!" Kamali called out to them from her place at Aimee's side.

"!" Soma had rushed to kneel at Aimee's side along with the others at Kamali's announcement. Kamali had moved Aimee away from the edge and onto a flatter surface while they were fighting as she tried to stop the bleeding. "What do you mean?!"

"I mean her wounds are not closing. The bleeding should have stopped by now." Kamali explained, looking down where her hand covered the wound to stop the bleeding. Blood still leaking out passed Kamali's hand to mix with the rain. To Soma's sick disgust... her wound was in the same spot as last time. Once again, he had come too late to protect her. Time had a sick humor of repeating itself...

"I-I don't understand, Kamali. Why aren't her Oracle Cells healing her?" Yummie cried out with a whimper.

"A-ah... Our weapons..." Aimee finally got out the words with a struggle. "Stop Oracle Cells..."

"!" How could they have forgotten...

"I'm going... to bleed out..."

"Like hell you are!" Soma growled at her, placing a hand on her as he tried to get a Link-Aid to kick start her Oracle Cells back into gear. But it wasn't working, so he kept the Link-Aid going, regardless of how it kept draining his health.

"Kamali... where are you...?" Aimee weakly moved her head around, looking for Kamali with tired eyes until she found her.

"No, Aimee. No." Kamali said to her. Ignoring her outburst and shaking head, Aimee took her hand in a strong binding grip. "No."

"I hear by... give over my command... to the next highest rank... as Rank 4. In my... unfortunate departure."

"No, Aimee, don't do this."

"Look after them... Kamali. I'm sorry that... I wasn't strong enough... to stop him... or avenge Charlie. Promise me you'll stop him... Finish off... what I could not."

"Quit talking as if you're dying!" Soma growled at her.

"But I am dying..."

"!"

"Soma... I..." She weakly reached a hand up to his cheek, cupping his warm flesh as the world was starting to feel cold around her. The rain made it look like she was crying. "I'm so sorry..."

"!" Her eyes closed as her hand started to fall back to the ground, but Soma caught it before it could hit. "Aimee...? Aimee!"

"..." Yummie began to cry as they all went silent.

"Why does it always have to be her?" Soma hissed silently to no one directly before he looked up to shout at the sky. "Do you hear? Why does all the suffering have to fall on HER?!"

"There's no need to shout." Kamali said to him. "God can hear you just fine."

"Can you save her?"

"Is that a question or a demand?"

"Can you save her or not?!" Azuma got a little defensive as Soma shouted at Kamali. He did not like the rage in Soma's eyes as he looked at her.

"Calm yourself, I cannot save her. But there is someone who can."

"What? Then what are we waiting for?!"

"Her pulse has weakened, but... If we can get her to Nonna by our Vault in the Hangar, we might still be able to save her." Kamali explained before pointing at Soma. "But only if you can keep... the Link-Aid."

"Fine! I'll do whatever it takes! Let's just get going!" Soma said as he lifted Aimee up in his arms. His right hand still kept the Link-Aid going from its spot on her back. Duke was out of commission from his fight and had to be carried on Anzi's shoulder, so Soma would have to run back to the Den on foot. Azuma had already called ahead to Nonna, giving her time to get ready for their arrival. Her chances of surviving were better at surviving than Charlie's was since the base was closer to them than it was for Charlie's case. Not to mention the fact that the Link-Aid Soma was having with her kept some of her Oracle Cells active to help slowly heal most of the wound before they'd shut down. But she was still bleeding out and Soma had no hands to stop the flow as he ran. Her chances of surviving were leaking out as we speak. "Don't you dare die on me!"

*** Author's Notes ***

Aw, thanks for the lovely Review DAngel18. You're such an angel... no pun intended, seriously, thanks for the nice Review. I'm sorry for the late update, Readers, but my internet wifi crashed so I haven't had time to upload my chapters for two weeks. But luckily that still gave me time to still write down the chapters on my LT, so thanks for your patience. I promise I won't leave this story or any other of my stories 'incomplete'.


	30. Chapter 30

Tension

"Get her on the table! Quick!" Nonna ordered at Soma as soon as he barged into the Hangar. The Vault had been opened, exposing many of their unique weapons along with transportation devices. But that stuff wasn't important now. The only thing that mattered at this moment was the cabinet of unique medical supplies, purposely costumed for the Guardians, hanging on the safe's wall opened. Nonna had rolled in a sickbed from the Sick Bay to lessen the hassle of helping Aimee... along with temporarily borrowed a Heart Monitor.

Obeying her without question, Soma ran over to the sickbed and gently put her down. Refusing to stop the Link-Aid even as he moved his hand from her back to her shoulder. Soma had used his enhanced power to run ahead of the others back to the Den, in order to not waste any time. The others understood, and they encouraged it.

Nonna instantly went Aimee's side the moment Soma had put her down, attaching the heart monitor detector onto her finger. Immediately the monitor came to life, slowly beeping with her weak heart rate.

"Her heart rate is weak and unsteady, temperatures are at a low." Nonna said aloud to herself as she cut open Aimee's upper clothes to examined the damaged. "She's lost a lot of blood."

"Dammit, can you fix her up?" Soma growled at Nonna as he noticed Aimee was losing her complexion. Doing what he could, he pressed his free hand on her wound to stop the bleeding.

"I'm doing the best I can," Nonna hissed back. Dashing to the rolling cart behind her, Nonna grabbed the cooler on the lower shelf and pulled out a packet of blood she had got from the Sick Bay supply. Injecting the needle into Aimee's elbow and tapping it down, the blood began to flow into her body.

"Injecting Type AB+ into the system, heart rate is still in a dangerous low."

"Don't you dare quit on me, Aimee." Soma said, squeezing her hand with his Link-Aid hand.

"Move your hand," Nonna barked at him, smacking the hand he had over her wound away so she could begin stitching her up. The nonrhythmic beats of the Heart Monitor were like a cruel reminder of the dangerous level Aimee was still in. "The stitches will naturally dissolve around the time her wounds naturally close up. We've got to get that heart steady, we need to get her Oracle Cells working again."

"How? It's not like we can Inject her with more of her P Bias Factor."

"Actually we can." Nonna corrected.

"What?"

Suddenly Aimee flat lined.

"We're losing her!"

"Dammit, do something!" Soma growled at her as he desperately began to Heimlich maneuver Aimee's heart.

Nonna dashed to the Safe to open the medical cabinet, revealing the various surgical and First-Aid kits and the rows of P63 Bias Factor and P70 Bias Factor contained in needles safely secured on the cabinet's door sides. Nonna pulled out three P632, then returned to Aimee's side.

"Wait, you're not actually going to inject her with all that Bias Factor?! They could mutate with that level amount! She could undergo Aragami Infection from the overload of Bias Factor!"

"At this rate the one's inside her are already dead! She needs the extra amount if we expect her body to restart again!" Nonna shot back, before grabbing the first needle and injecting it directly into her heart. "Injecting First Needle."

The first dosage drowned into her body, her heart rate began to skyrocket again like crazy. Soma and Nonna had to hold her down as her body began to convulse and shake uncontrollable.

"Shh, shh, you're okay Aimee. You're okay." Nonna soothed to her, gently running her hand through Aimee's hair to calm her down. Slowly Aimee's heart began to lull into a steady beat.

"Heart-rate has return to a steady 52 beats per minute, temperatures are at a normal." Nonna concluded as she checked Aimee's vitals, relief had coated all over her face. "Aimee is in the safe."

"Hn, good..." Soma sighed in relief.

"You can stop the Link-Aid now. Here, take this Recovery Ball."

"Thanks." Soma was feeling much better now, the Link-Aid had taken a lot out of him now that he was no longer distracted by Aimee's conditions to notice it. He was tired and his body was starting to shake from exhaustion. But the Recovery Ball helped a lot. "Is she going to be okay?"

"She should be fine after a couple days of rest. I'm just going to inject one more dosage of P63 Bias Factor to help the process." Nonna explained as she injected one more needle on the top side of Aimee's arm this time. "The Oracle Cells should help with healing the scars away."

Just then the other three Guardians had finally made it back to the Den.

"(Huff) How is she...?" Yummie asked out of breath.

"She's fine." Soma answered, earning a sigh of relief from the others.

"Oh thank God," Yummie practically cried out in relief. Meanwhile, Duke whimpered and wiggled on Anzi's shoulders.

"How's the mutt?"

"He's fine, he was just tired out from the fight." Kamali answered. Gesturing for Anzi to put Duke down, Duke tiredly walked over to Aimee's side. Circling around her sickbed once, he gave her hand a lick. When her fingers twitched to his contact, his ears perked up at the thought that she was okay. Careful not to land on her, Duke jumped up to her sicked and rested by her side, gently placing his head on Aimee's stomach above the wound.

"She's in the clear now, we can roll the sickbed back to the Sick Bay." Nonna suggested.

"Okay..." Soma agreed, gently helping Nonna cart Aimee to the elevator, along with Duke. Yummie and Kamali tagged along to drag back the supply cart and Heart Monitor. While Azuma stayed behind to put everything away back into the Vaut...

*** Director's Office ***

"So you're saying that a Guardian did this?" Director Johannes summed up as Hibari explained to him what happen to Aimee on his phone line.

"Yes," Hibari confirmed. "According to the other Guardians, their Rank 1 had survived out in the wastelands of the world Devouring Aragami as he searched for his goal. He also seems to have developed a control over the Aragami as well based on the report."

"I see... and what exactly is this goal?"

"I don't know, Sir. Something about a 'means to an end'. Either way, Aimee stood in his way and he made her pay the price."

"Hm, interesting... send my best wishes to Aimee. That's will be all from me."

"Yes, Sir." Hibari replied before she hung up. Entwining his fingers over his lower face, the Director smirked as he thought to himself in the quiet of his office.

"Hm... perhaps I've found someone with the same ambitions as mine." He said aloud to himself before pressing his second speed-dial on his phone. "Dr. Oguruma, meet me in my office. I think I've found someone to help us with our goal."

*** Later that night at the Forgotten Carrier ***

The cold breeze was the ocean came over the bridge, bringing the area into frigid temperatures. Frost breath came from Seth without care, he lost the weakness to temperature ages ago. Under the moon's gentle light he watched Aegis Island across the sea from his spot on the carrier. His ears picked up the intruder long before the intruder spotted him.

"Why do you come to the slaughter, little lamb? Or..." Seth's question made the intruder stop in their steps on the bridge. His breath froze in his throat as Seth turned to him with his blood-lust green eyes. "Perhaps you wanted to die..."

"W-wait! Please wait!" The frantically waved with a shivered breath. "My name is Dr. Oguruma, I have a proposition for from my college, Director Johannes,"

"Oh?" Seth raised an eyebrow at him.

"Y-yes, he request your partnership in a goal you both similarly share." Dr. Oguruma's hand was shaking as he pulled out his phone to open his Skype connection to the Director. "I-if we work together, we can both get what we want."

"At the moment," Seth replied as he jumped down from the carrier. "There is only one thing I want."

"!" Dr. Oguruma broke into a sweat as Seth unsheathed his sword. "W-wait! Stop! We're on the same side!"

"No... 'you' are not."

"Aughhh!" Dr. Oguruma cried out as Seth cut him down. His phone fell out of his hand and onto the pavement.

"Really now, was that even necessary?" Director Johannes asked nonchalantly on the other side.

"His presence disgusted me, so I got rid of him." Seth said as he kicked Dr. Oguruma's body over the bridge. "What do you want?"

"As my college said before, I would like to work together with you."

"Hmph, I see no reason why I should. And I question your reasons as to why you would want to join me? You don't seem like the type to damn the entire human race."

"In a way I am." Director Johannes countered. "Are you familiar with the Devouring Apocalypse?"

"Hm?"

"The Aragami, who've consumed everything, and their final feast... Redistributing life by devouring the planet."

"Ooh, that sounds fascinating. And how will you trigger this 'Apocalypse'?"

"You've felt it too haven't you? The calling? The changes in your body must make it so, since you are more Aragami than human now."

"..."

"The Aegis Project was adopted as a smoke screen to secretly launch the Ark Project. We've been building up this man-made apocalypse for ages, we are almost nearing the final stages of completion. We've helped nurtured an Earth-devouring Aragami, Nova, its tentacles cover the entire planet and will consume it all. Once all is one, life will be distributed again. Once we've found our unique Aragami core, we can proceeded with the plan, triggering the Devouring Apocalypse as well as to maintain control over the planet's environment after the apocalypse, and launch the Chosen few into space until the world is made anew again."

"Oh... and why exactly do you need my help?"

"You seem to have control over the Aragami, do you not? I'd like you to help us find our 'Special Aragami'. We need this Singularity to trigger the final stage."

"..."

"So will you join us, or not...?"

"... Hmph, why not...?" Seth smirked. "Rest assured Mr?"

"Johannes. Johannes von Schicksal."

"Hmph. Rest assured, Mr. Schicksal, I will help you find your Singularity."

*** Sick Bay ***

Aimee had been out for two days, her stitches had long since dissolved as her rooms had completely healed. She was sore from lying down for so long, but for the most part she was okay. Her eyes had slowly opened for the first time in awhile.

Her first sight was Duke, happily sleeping on the side of her bed with his head resting on her stomach. Her regular clothes had been destroyed and replace for a hospital gown, she had to change that later once she got back to her room. The sight warmed her up so, seeing that her PAR was safe and sound back in the Den with her. Looking to her right, she saw that Nonna had left her three needles of P63 Bias Factors as a just in case. She found it sweat that Nonna didn't want to chance her Oracle Cells stopping again, it made her feel warm inside to know that Nonna cared. But then she felt the presence of another beside her.

Looking to her left she saw that Soma was sitting by her bedside in one of the visitor's chairs. Relief coated his face at the sight of her waking up again, but than it turned into rage. Aimee had a feeling that she was in trouble.

"What were you trying to do?" Soma's tone lowered with his anger.

"Soma I-"

"Were you trying to get yourself killed? Facing him alone like that, have you lost your mind, he was Ranked 1 for a reason."

"I just... wanted to stop him..."

"You could've died trying your fools quest, and then what? Leaving everyone behind to cry for your lost, is that what you want?"

"N-no, I- (Gasp)!" She was started as he closed in on her with his arms trapping her to the bed.

"What about me?" The sadness could be seen in his spring blue eyes. "What was I going to do when you're gone? Don't I matter?"

"I... I'm sorry, Soma." Aimee sighed out, heartbroken by his question. "I guess I just strived too big..."

"Damn right you did." He huffed out before his voiced softened as he tilted his head at her. "You should learn how to lean on others. Isn't that what you've been trying so hard to tell me?"

"Right... I guess I was being a little bit... hypocritical. Can you forgive me...?"

"..." Soma said nothing for a while, before he wrapped his arms around her in an embrace. "Just don't... scare me like that..."

"!" She was startled as one of his hands gently cupped the back of her head to him as he hid his face from her. He was so open to her at that moment and made himself vulnerable to what ever action she decided to take next. Relaxing into his grip, she tiredly wrapped her arms around him as well. "Don't worry, Soma, I won't..."

"!" Soma flushed as Aimee gave him a kiss on his cheek before resting her cheek against his.

"I love you..."

"I- (Cough)... I nuv vu tu." Soma mumbled back at her. Aimee couldn't help but giggled as she felt his cheek warm up on hers.

"Oh my, you're warming up." Aimee teased at him. "Are you getting a fever?"

"S-shut up!"

*** Dr. Sakaki's Lab ***

"So... the Director has been busy since I've been out." Aimee summed up as Dr. Sakaki explained about what has been happening since she was recovering. The Director has officially come open about his plans to the Den and has been summing its members one-by-one to receive their ticket to board this 'Ark' he was building. "Can you tell me what you know about this Ark? I only know so much from what Sakuya and Alisa has told me."

"The 'Ark Project'. Put simply, it will deliberately cause a flood called the 'Devouring Apocalypse'." Dr. Sakaki explained. "The Project will allow only a chosen few aboard the 'Ark' to evacuate into space. The Ark Project was originally a proposal developed by myself, the Branch Director, and Aisha. True the Branch Director was pushing it aggressively. It was like a radical cure abandoned right away on humanitarian grounds."

"So damn the human race while only saving a selective few. Seems like you guys were foolishly trying to play God." Aimee said with a grunt.

"This was before the population collapse. As a result, the Aegis Project was adopted. And so development on Aegis Island proceeded. The Ark... in other words, a spaceship... Not that I have any details myself..."

"What? Surely he has been letting you in on some of details. You are friends after all."

"Friends that can't be fully trusted at this point." Dr. Sakaki pointed out with in sad seriousness. "He must have hidden all the remaining last spaceships behind the Aegis Island Wall. A typical move by the secretive Johannes!"

"Hm..."

"But he's not completely into his final stage yet. He's missing a key necessity to go about this Project. And I believe Shio holds the key to it."

"Then he shall never get it." Aimee huffed out with stern determination. "It's bad enough he has the Den split in two when they should be focusing on protecting the citizens of the Branch, let alone what this news must be doing to the other Branches. I will not stand for him to drag Shio into this as well."

"Know this, I'll never take orders from the Branch Director, Johannes von Schicksal. That's all it is." Soma had been in the room with them to make sure Aimee got around okay, since she decided to move around as soon as she was released from the Sick Bay. And to check in on Shio. She wasn't doing very well, but she had at least calmed down. Aimee and him were going to go out to gather her some food once Aimee was done with what she had to do.

"He's summoned you into his Office too, hasn't he? Since you've recovered in all." Dr. Sakaki pointed out. "Be careful what you say around him. Don't hand Shio over to him."

"If I haven't handed over your other secret to him so far, I'm sure as hell am not going to hand over Shio to him." Aimee huffed out from over her shoulders to the Doc as she was leaving, making him break in a slight cold sweat that she would say something like that with Soma in the room.

The walk to the Director's Office was troubling as she past by the people she had fought so long beside split apart by two radical sides: boarding the Ark or not. She was tortured by the sight of seeing God Eaters deciding to board the Ark that she wouldn't expect to make such an inhumane choice, like Brendan. And surprised to see others that she didn't expect to 'not' take the self preserving route, like Shun. All of the Den was torn apart by the Directors rash resort and ambitions.

"Ah! Thanks for stopping by!" Director Johannes greeted to Aimee as she had finally made her way into his office. "The plan is about to enter its final stage, thanks to you and your predecessors. I want to express my gratitude."

"Yeah... about that..." Aimee said as she approached his desk. "You never said I was helping you destroy the planet. I was told that I would help save humanity from the Aragami, not damn them to the ultimate devouring."

"You seem rather perplexed by my words." Director Johannes pointed out with a smirk. "But surely Sakuya and Alisa have contacted you by now."

"Hmph, so the walls do have ears." Aimee smirked back, luckily for her only most of the walls have ears.

"Well... I can imagine how you must feel, now that they have been put on the wanted list."

"Absolutely livid, actually. But they made their own choice to act on their own so they must stand by it."

"Hmph, the voice of a leader as always." He chuckled out. "Now, you're probably wondering how on earth can I still be loitering about the Den?"

"You're the Director, where else would you be?"

"I'll not make excuses. If you wish to cross swords with me now, I'll be glad to accommodate you."

"I've already tried that with a much bigger threat and look where that got me." Aimee tiredly pointed out, an invisible sting came over her stomach from the memory of her impalement.

"Hm, it seems you're not as rash and rushing into fights as I thought. However, you must understand... The Ark Project is the only way for us to achieve a true rebirth for the planet, and human preservation."

"The rebirth of the planet? You're killing innocent people! Not to mention the lives that have survived so long outside the Branches' Walls that won't be even given a change, let alone a warning!"

"It seems you're not really getting what I am trying to do. Let me see..." Johannes replied to her outburst, walking over to the picture on the left wall by his desk. It was a oil painting of a sinking ship in chaotic waters during a violent storm. "For example... Let's say that your ship has sunk, and you and another passenger have been tossed into the raging sea. In the stormy waters... you see a single plank floating nearby. No matter how you look at it, the plank will sink if you both cling to it. Now then... what would you do? Would you push the other person aside and safe yourself? Or... are you the type that would gladly sacrifice himself?"

"The Ark of Carneades... the question revolving around a single plank. Should someone who survived by sacrificing someone else be tried for having committed a crime?" Aimee pointed out, already figuring out what the Director was referring to. "As living beings, it is in our nature to follow self-preservation by any means necessary? All life should be seen as equal, so no one life form should be valued over another. When our lives are in danger we tend to lose reasoning and do whatever means necessary in order to save it.

"However... floating at sea for an unknown amount of time before I am rescued seems like a painfully slow way to die. Whether I am picked off by the many unknown fish of the sea, or dye of starvation or heatstroke, that still sounds like the worse way to go. Not to mention the long time I would have by myself to contemplate that I had just let someone die in order to preserve my life for just a little bit longer. I'd rather drown there and be done with it."

"You are one of the people who should cling to this 'Plank of Carneades'." Director Johannes answered as he turned back to her. "For the future of humankind, that is absolutely the right choice to make."

"No it isn't," Aimee countered, shaking her head. "The future of humankind should be left to the children. And besides, these chosen few better get use to being vegetarians because you have said nothing about persevering the animal life of the world."

"Hmph, say what you want. The Ark will be completed in a short time. If you decide to join this project, I want you to fulfill your remaining duties to the best of your ability. And if you succeed, I intend to welcome you and your loved ones aboard the Ark as crew members."

"Heh ha. Heh HA Hahaha hahahahaaa! (Gasp)!" Aimee began to laugh as she held on to her sides. Hissing out her breath from the pain in her sides as her laughing came to a stop, she wipe away a stray tear from her eye as her shoulders continued to shake for awhile. "My loved ones have been dead for years. My culture and tribe have been lost to this world as if they have never existed."

"Then it is your duty to preserve your culture into the next generations."

"..."

"Now... what are you going to do? Board a doomed sinking ship, and wait for a violent death on a stormy sea? Or... join me on board the Ark?"

"Tst," Aimee tsk out as she turned her head away from the Director. "Why would I join with people that would turn their backs on my people in times of need. The answer is 'no'. I will chose to fade away with my Romani, if that is what God sees fit."

Having enough of this conversation, Aimee didn't even wait for him to dismiss her as she began to head for the door.

"Oh, by the way." Director Johannes called out to her as she was about to walk out of the door. "Kota was just here minutes ago to receive his boarding ticket for the Ark."

"Hm?" Aimee stopped in her tracks and turned to look at him over her shoulders.

"I'm proud of how strong he's become, just from having loved ones to protect."

"Hmph," Aimee turned back around to the door. "He's a big boy. He made his own choices, and I've made mine."

"I'll be happy to give you some time to mull it over, you and your Guardians I mean. After all, Seth was willing to join in our cause. I had hoped that you would join us as well."

"What?!" Aimee had turned completely around at the news.

"We're just one step away from setting the plan into motion. Yes... if we could just get our hands on the Singularity... I hope that I'll be reunited with you in the new world. And you'll accept your official ticket."

"Wait, wait, wait. Back up." Aimee ignored what he was saying after that little bomb he dropped on her before. "Are you saying you teamed up with the Homicidal Maniac?! Have you gone insane?!"

"(Chuckle) Frankly, I don't see what you're upset about. He's proven to be an affective resource, and he's helped clean up the extra work for me."

"An affective resource? The man literally doesn't even know where his own mind is!" Aimee began to walk back to the Director. "You may have won him over with your Devouring of the Earth. But the man will not stop until literally every human on this planet is no more."

"Hmph, if that were to be a problem, I would dispose of him before that."

"You are playing with fire here! If I couldn't even stop him, what makes you think you have a chance?!"

"Hmph, because I will use more than just strength. I will use intellect."

"Tst," Aimee hissed at him before storming toward the door. "We'll see about that, that is if this doesn't blow up in your face."

"Hmph, I don't intend on that." Director Johannes said back as she was shutting the door.

*** Days later ***

Aimee and Soma had been gathering food supply for Shio, without the Director even knowing it. From the Tranquil Temple to the Infernal Subway, they had just been covering it up with regular missions. Bringing her back parts from Kongous, Chi-You, Borg Camlann, Ogretails, Cocoon maidens, Vajra, Gboro, Fierce Kongou, and a Dyaus Pita. Unannounced to Soma, Aimee had also been gathering these materials for Lindow as well. The consumption of Dyaus Pita parts was helping to calm him down from his dizzy fits. Ren was the only one that could keep an eye on Lindow for Aimee since Soma had started hanging around the lab more often to check on Shio's condition. Not that Aimee was truly worried, both of them were in good hands... for now.

Director Johannes had been busy with his search, scouring across Aegis Island for the Singularity that got away. Checking in on update reports from Seth out on the field, from the Skype connection on the phone Seth had taken from Dr. Oguruma. Seth had done him a favor of getting rid of Dr. Oguruma, he wanted to get rid of the loose strings anyway. A man so cynical and twisted shouldn't have the right to board into the new era.

It was on evenings like these that Seth would call in...

"Good to see you, Seth. I trust things have been going well on your end." Director Johannes greeted Seth, noticing the silhouettes of Aragami walking around behind him.

"Hmph," Seth smirked. "I can assure you that you'll never find your Singularity out here."

"What do you mean?"

"It would appear that your Singularity has been hiding under your nose all along." Seth answered with a chuckle. "The Aragami have detected the phenomena inside your walls."

"This can't be?! How did it get over our Anti-Aragami Walls, let alone blend in with the residents?"

"Unless someone smuggled it in. Perhaps what you are looking for has a more humanoid appearance than you thought." Seth suggested. "I've been looking through your Branch ever since then."

"Oh?" Director had noticed that the citizens of the Branch have been in a panic ever since the random killings around the Ghettos. Most had feared to come out at night, or else suffer the consequences of having their body cut open only to found the next day by their neighbors. Who ever was committing these serial killings did not discriminate between the wealthy ghettos and the poorer sides. The Director had a solid idea who was behind this, but saw no reason to put a stop to this since most of the residents were going to die from the Devouring Apocalypse anyway. Best put them out of their miseries before hand. However, he would have to deal with Seth once his plans were done... permanently.

"I've found that what you're looking is within your very Den."

"What?! How could it- Paylor! I should have known!" Director Johannes growled in frustration.

"Hmph, I'll let you handle the rest." Seth smirked before he hung up, leaving Director Johannes to boil in his own anger.

Oh course Dr. Sakaki had the means and ability to hide the Singularity from him, how could he have not seen this coming? There was only one way to find out if the Singularity was truly with Dr. Sakaki...

Going over to the wall on the right side of his desk, he opened the cover for the emergency power-off switch in his office and pulled the lever. The power had went off and just as planned all the backup data from Dr. Sakaki's lab had came to him with the Backup Generator starting. So Dr. Sakaki did had the Singularity; it was right under his nose all this time. That and among other things... He had made up his mind on how he was going to deal with this as the red alarm lights went off when the Backup power started.

"Oh!" Dr. Sakaki exclaimed in alarm as he realized what had just happen, from what the Director heard on the rooms announcement speaker. He couldn't help but smirk at the 'busted' sound Dr. Sakaki just made.

"Doctor! I knew you were there!" Director Johannes said to him like catching a child's hand in the cookie jar.

"Oh my God! I'm screwed!"

"W-what the... what's going on?" So Soma was there too? The Director felt like he should've known that his son would go against him in one of his rebellious stages.

"I'm screwed. I told you, during emergencies the backup electricity is controlled by the center... they'll be stripping this room of all information security."

"All of it?" Aimee asked. The Director should have known that he couldn't fully trust a lapdog with a dead master.

"All of it," Dr. Sakaki confirmed.

"Well that's not good..."

"You mean... don't tell me it's that bastard, my father?!" Soma cut in.

"Yes... our cover is blown now." Dr. Sakaki sighed out.

So they were going to behave like disobedient children, were they? Well... The Director had a cure for that. Let's send them some playmates to keep them busy while he retrieved the Singularity.

*** Back in the Lab with the others ***

A booming sound when out through the Den, shaking the place as if they were having an earthquake. No... it was more like a beat, it felt like a massive stampede was marching their way.

"What the hell in going on now, Doc?" Soma asked in nervousness.

"I don't know. But knowing Johannes, this is definitely not good..."

ROAR

Aragami roars went out through the Den along with screaming as the lights kept flickering on and off from the massive stomping going through the Den.

"I don't believe this, he lured Aragami into the Den just to get his hands on Shio!" Aimee said out in frustrated appall. "Has the man lost his mind?!"

"No, he's just really, really, really determined." Dr. Sakaki corrected.

"You don't say," Aimee said sarcastically.

"Dammit, we've gotta get the Aragami out of the Den before somebody gets hurt!" Soma growled as he grabbed his God Arc.

"You don't have to tell me twice." Aimee agreed with him. "Come on, Duke, let's go. Doc, stay here and out of danger!"

"Be safe you two." Dr. Sakaki called out to them as they ran out of the Lab and into the fray.  
>Various Aragami had found their way into the Den, terrorizing everyone they came across, God Eaters or not. The Guardians were helping the active duty God Eaters evacuate the people who couldn't fight out of the battle zone.<p>

Tatsumi and Gina were taking care of a Fierce Kongou, keeping it away from Hibari. While Shun to take on a Quadriga with the help of Ron. Azuma and Kamali had tag teamed against a Sariel while Yummie and Jack took on a Gboro. Nonna had taken it upon herself to care and defend for the wounded in the Den. Leaving one Fallen Borg Camlann unchallenged as the other God Eaters in the Den were busy fending off other Aragami.

"Oh no you don't!" Aimee barked at the Fallen Borg Camlann, sucker punching it in its face with a leap. "Not in my turf!"

"Back me up!" Soma instructed as they charged at the Blaze Fallen Borg Camlann.

"You got it, Soma! Let's send this thing back to hell!" Aimee said wasting no time.

She did not have the time or the moment to enjoy a full drawn out battle with this Aragami, going immediately to his known weak spot, she began attacking the back of its tail. Eventually breaking off its tail armor while Soma kept working on its shield armor. Roaring out in outrage it had called upon its fellow Bolt Fallen Borg Camlann comrade.

"So you brought a friend with you?" Aimee sarcastically said to the Aragami who responded back with a shrieking roar. "Ooh, that's nice..."

"We've gotta lure them out of the Den and away from the Branch!" Soma instructed to Aimee as the fight had lead them outside into the pouring rain.

"Right!" Aimee agreed to his plan, running with him as the Fallen Borg Camlanns chased them from behind.

Always on their tail, firing needle bullets at them as they continued to run. It was hard to dodge them in the rain as the pouring shower made it hard for them to even see where they were going. They had eventually made it over the Branch's Walls and into the Wailing Plains, hiding behind one of the buildings making the Fallen Borg Camlanns lose track of them.

Frustrated at the lost of their prey, they began to split up and search the area. Aimee and Soma waited in the rain until the Fallen Borg Camlann were on the other side of the area from each other.

Nodding in signal that now was a good time to attack, they both came out of hiding and charged at the Blaze Fallen Borg Camlann by the twister. They had already damage it so far it wasn't too long until Soma crushed off is shield armor.

"Rotten piece of meat!" Soma growled at it as it roared in pain. Luckily for them, the rain had drowned out its roar to its partner.

"Finish it off!" Aimee said, attacking the know vulnerable shield claws. Eventually, after countless dodging of its persistent tail, they had finally taken it down. It curled up on its back like a dead spider. Duke went in to devour the core. "Right... now to take care of the other one."

Finally hearing its comrades death cry, the Bolt Fallen Borg Camlann has rushed over to them, taking the short cut through the twister to get to them. Roaring at the death of its fallen comrade, it jumped down into the area at them, ready for a fight.

Aimee tried to attack the Fallen Borg Camlann at its weak spot behind its tail, but this was kept moving. It seemed to have known about its weak spot their and refuse to turn its back on Aimee long enough for her to strike it. Facing her efforts with a swinging tail that would always knock her away. Frustrated by her failed attempts, Aimee got back on her feet and wiped the blood from her lips with the back of her hand. Her eyes turning crimson as her anger was making her go into a burst.

"Soma, think you can get it from the front?!" Aimee asked as her hair finally turned platinum.

"Think you could get it from the back?" Soma counted back with a raised eyebrow and smirk.

"Oh ha ha! Just you wait. This thing is going down." Aimee growled out with angry determination. Sliding under the Aragami to get to its backside, Aimee began to jump in the air to deliver powered-up punches at the back of the Aragami's tail. At last, after long hard work, the Aragami's tail armor had been destroyed. "Ah! I did it! Did you see that, Soma?!"

"Yeah, I saw it?" Soma groaned out while he was attacking the Aragami's legs with Duke. He spoke like a parent who wasn't really paying attention to their child who annoyingly kept asking for their parent's attention for mediocre things.

"Hmph, you're just jealous that I actually did it!" Aimee huffed out as she waited for the Aragami to turn around toward her before she started attacking its shield claws.

Pumped up from her excitement, it had taken her no trouble to destroy its shield armor as well. The Fallen Borg Camlann was furious. Not wasting a moment, the Aragami swung its tail at them, catching Aimee off guard as it sliced her with its needle.

"See, karma doesn't like showoffs!" Soma lectured in sarcasm with a smirk, slightly worried if she was okay. But was relieved when she got back on her feet again and took a Recovery Pill II to stop the bleeding from the slice along her stomach.

"Yeah, yeah. I guess I walked in to that one."

"He's going to pay for that!" Soma growled toward the Aragami as he charged up a crushing blow. The attack knocked the Fallen Borg Camlann of its feet where he attacked it again with another charged attack. "What an eyesore."

"Keep going! We've almost got it worn out!" Aimee announced as she kept attacking its weak points in its claws. It had tried to get back up again, but Aimee had dashed to the back to attack its weak spot on its tail to knock it down again. With the combined power of both Aimee and Soma they had eventually finished it off with a simultaneous attack.

"Little pests," Soma hissed at the Aragami as it curled up like a spider. "Whatever shows up just slash it to hell."

"Yeah..." Aimee said out of breath. "I think that's it."

But a roar from above had disagreed with her. Looking up through the pouring rain they saw a Fallen Sariel flying away from the area, from the direction of the Den. Carrying something small and white in its arms. The green ribbons on the the object in its hands gave it away.

"Shio!" Soma shouted in alarm.

"Damn, we have to get her back!" Aimee and Soma both ran after the Fallen Sariel, trailing it from the ground.

"Dammit, how did they get her? Do you think the old man's okay?!"

"Oh he's fine. That Doc is extremely resourceful, he can handle himself."

The Fallen Sariel had lead them all the way into the Sunken Grid. The rain had lightened up into a subtle drizzle with a lingering fog. But just as they were closing in on the Fallen Sariel, a Quadriga and a Sariel got in their way.

"Get out of my way!" Soma growled at them as they roared back at him and Aimee. "I'll bring Shio back no matter what!"

"What is up with these Aragami?! They're more organized than usual!" Aimee pointed out as the Quadriga marched toward them. "It's almost like they're following orders!"

"I don't know, but it would take the direction of one unquestionable leader for them to be this strategic!" Soma suggested as he jumped up and destroyed the Quadriga's exhaust pipe armor.

"(Gasp)!" Suddenly the answer clicked to Aimee as she was attacking the Quadriga's chest armor. "Seth! That bastard! He's been behind these attacks all along!"

"Ugh, Dammit!"

"He's the only one with the means to control this amount of Aragami like this!" Aimee hissed out as she punched the Quadriga onto its knees in her rage. Its chest's missile launch area opened up to them on impact, exposing its vulnerable soft tissue, leaving it much easier for Aimee to destroy its chest armor.

"Hmph, that doesn't matter now! We need to get to Shio before she winds up in the Director's hands!"

"Right!" Aimee agreed with him as the Quadriga got back on its feet again. "Perish from our sight!"

With relentless attacks to its now vulnerable spots, Soma and Aimee had taken down the Quadriga. Leaving Duke to once again take care of its core while the Sariel came floating at them, far too late to save its comrade, but still stalling them from catching up to Shio and the Fallen Sariel.

"Can't you give us a damn break?!" Soma roared at the Aragami as Aimee and him leaped into the air and broke off its leg armor.

"Not to sound like a sexual deviant, but I've got its skirt!" Aimee said over to Soma as she delivered the final punch to take off its skirt armor and knocked it out of the sky.

While Soma attacked its front, Aimee dashed to the back to see if she could destroy its crown. But she couldn't... it was up in the air again. The Sariel was about to create a Divine Wall around itself when Aimee delivered a backside punch to it, knocking it out of concentration.

"Oh no you don't!" Aimee cried out to it as she struck. Retaliating, the Sariel released a cloud of poisonous gas from the pores under its skirt, giving Aimee a good lung full of it. "Ugh... disgusting..."

"Aimee!"

"I'll be okay..." Aimee assured to him, the gas in her lungs was still eating away at her health, but she could still fight. Jumping in the air she delivered a punch that knocked the Sariel out of the air again. Going to its back, she attacked its crown which she had finally destroyed. "I did it..."

"What an eye sore," Soma said to the knelled Aragami, delivering it a charged attack. The Aragami was floating in the air again, but weakened. In no time Aimee and Soma had it down on the ground again... permanently. Duke was going to have a feast that day. "Hmph, I'll take you out as many time as it takes."

"No time for flirting with the Aragami, Soma." Aimee couldn't help but tease him for his phrasing, even when she was being serious. "We need to catch up with Shio."

"Right- Hey!" Soma barked at her, catching what she meant.

"Hurry, Soma, hurry!"

"Tst, dammit!"

And so they ran... finally catching up to the Fallen Sariel. But it was too late. The Fallen Sariel had already crossed over the sea, and out of their reach, toward Aegis Island.

"DAMN IT ALL!" Soma shouted over the ocean, letting it echo through the fields.

"It's no use, Soma." Aimee said to him. "We have to get reinforcement, if we plan to rescue her now."

"Shit...!"

"My thoughts exactly..."

*** Author's Notes ***

Just in case anyone is curious, I got the idea of Aimee's outfit based off the combination of the Cool Snazz Top and Precious Song Bottom from the Female Protagonist's outfits. From their I unleashed author's creativity and interpretation.


	31. Chapter 31

The First Move to an End

Aimee and Soma had made their way back to the Den, where they had gathered the Guardians and made their way to Dr. Sakaki's Lab. They still had no idea what was going on, but understandingly still followed silently, realizing that now wasn't the time for questions. But even as Soma banged on the Lab's door, nobody was answering... Not even Lindow, Aimee noticed.

"Dammit! Doc's not here either. What should we do?" Soma said, trying his best to hide the panic in his voice.

"They've taken Shio away, haven't they?"

"?!" Soma and Aimee turned in shock toward the sound of Sakuya's voice. "You guys?!"

"Sakuya, Alisa! You're both alright!" Aimee happily greeted them.

"Who's Shio?" Yummie asked with a raised eyebrow.

"An Aragami girl with human-like characteristics that we smuggled into the Den and have been hiding in Dr. Sakaki's Lab." Aimee honestly answered.

"What?! You've been hiding secrets from us again?! How many more things will you keep from us?!" Yummie cried out in hurt frustration. She felt like Aimee had betrayed their trust.

"That was the last one I swear... Oh wait! No that wasn't the last one. I've also been taking on Special Missions for the Director that has been making take on Colossal Aragami by myself." Aimee blurted out, since everything was going to hell, she mine as well clean out her slate. "There, now that's the last one."

"My God, Aimee!" Yummie groaned out in frustration. Stomping her feet up and down.

"Hmph, lucky bastard." Jack mumbled out, upset that Aimee had kept all the fun to herself, getting to face the larger Aragami.

"That isn't important right now." Soma said, interrupting most of the Guardians' whining before turning to Sakuya and Alisa again. "I thought you guys cut us off."

"Well, we thought you'd be lonely on your own, so we came back." Alisa joked around.

"The thing is, we've been searching for a way for us to re-infiltrate Aegis, but..." Sakuya explained. "Since the perimeter is on full lock down, now that they're about to launch the ark Project, we seem to have no options."

"I'll bet... there's a path leading to Aegis... beneath the Den." Kota suggested, making all the heads in the hallway turn to him, surprised that he hadn't boarded the Ark along with the other pro-Ark Den members.

"Kota!" Alisa gasped out. "I thought you were joining the Ark Project!"

"..."

"No, I mean... thank you for coming back." Kota couldn't help but smile at her response.

"Let's go! I think it's this way!"

*** Down in the basement of the Den ***

The others were waiting around, securing the perimeter while Kota fiddled with the locked elevator door. Trying to crack through the door's security system.

"No good, I can't release this key!" Kota sighed out in frustration.

"I see you're all here after all."

"(Gasp)!" They all were taken by surprise by the appearance of Tsubaki.

"Tsubaki!" Sakuya gasped out.

"Don't worry. No one's going to arrest you." Tsubaki assured to them. "As you can see, it's chaotic here because of the Ark Project. Everyone who was pro-Ark left long ago..."

"Then what about you?"

"Yes. The brother's failure... must be rectified by the elder sister. By the way, Kota, how did you know that this was the way to Aegis?"

"... I found the door while I snuck in here hoping to get a look at the sight of where they were going to build the underground residential section. It's not really like I had any evidence, but the Doc told us all in class that the resources from the Den Plant were being used to build Aegis. So I thought the transportation route must be underground."

"Ha, I heard that you were always falling asleep in class, but apparently that wasn't the case." Tsubaki smirked. "Yes... I have the release key. If you want to go to Aegis, make sure you're fully prepared first. There's one more thing... I have to say to you... Thank you."

They all nodded as they were gifted with one of Tsubaki's rare smiles.

"Upon going to Fenrir HQ for confirmation, I learned that the Director alone was behind this, I've been given control of this Branch until the new Branch Director arrives..." Tsubaki explained to them. "I should have seen behind it all. Had I realized, Lindow would not be..."

"..."

"Forgive me..." Tsubaki composed herself. "For now, let's do what we need to do. I command you as Acting Director to arrest Johannes von Schicksal! Stop the Ark Project!"

"Yes ma'am!" They all confirmed, except for Aimee.

"(Hiss) Yeaahhh, uhm... Before we go, I have to clean my slate." Aimee nervously said, rubbing the back of her head. "I have something to tell you that I give you all full permission to take one clean shot at me afterwards."

"?!"

"Aimee, this is not really the time for this." Soma growled at her, shutting his eyes as a twitching vein in annoyance pulsed on his forehead and his fingers tapped on his crossed arms in impatience. "If it's not important, it can wait until-"

"Lindow's not dead." Aimee interrupted him. The First Unit and Tsubaki's eyes went wide as they just stared at her. The Guardians couldn't believe she had decided to tell them this now.

"What?" Sakuya gasped out.

"Yeahhh, I found him in the Tranquil Temple area the same time we found Shio." Aimee explained, unable to look Sakuya in the eyes. "He's been recovering in Dr. Sakaki's lab's left back room since then. Most likely he went on ahead of us to stop the Aegis Project since he didn't answer the door when we knocked at the lab."

"Erh!" Sakuya grunted out as she sucker punched Aimee right on the kisser in heartbroken frustration. The force of the hit twisted Aimee's head to the side as she froze for a moment by the sheer shock of it. Turning back to Sakuya with a bruised cheek, she simply stared at her. Soma was caught off guard by it to react in time to protect or help Aimee.

"Whoa... nice shot, Sakuya..." Aimee complimented.

"How could you?! How could you hide this information from us?!" Sakuya cried out to her.

"How could you make me hide the fact of Shio's existence from my Guardians?" Aimee calmly countered back.

"That's not the same in the slightest!" Sakuya said in her upset state. The Guardians knew she didn't mean it, but it still stung a little.

"Oh, but it is the same... to me." Aimee corrected. "And besides that, Sakuya, do you really think it would be safe for me to hand out the information about Lindow's existence when the Den's walls had ears?"

"!"

"You obvious know I made the right choice, judging by the Director's role in all this. And how he's easily listened-in on us inside the Den. Lindow was still recovering and to weak to handle himself if his location was ever to be found out."

"So... that time... with Lindow's God Arc...?"

"Oh, Lindow was going through an Aragami Infection due to the lost of his armlet. I needed his God Arc to stabilize his Oracle Cells."

"What?!"

"Hey, relax, he's fine now. A little different than before, but fine."

"How different... are we talking."

"(Sigh) His right arm as undergone Aragami Transformation, it will never retain human form again."

"Oh no..."

"Don't you worry. He's well taken care of; Lindow's arm still resembles a humanoid form and is still usable. You just be happy about his survival and forget about the rest of the details."

"I guess... I'm just so grateful, he's alive...!"

"Sakuya!" Alisa sighed in relief, clapping her hands together.

"I am sorry about hiding this from you all so long." Aimee apologized to all of them with repenting eyes. "Especially you, Tsubaki, Sakuya. But... I couldn't take any chances. For the good of everyone, if... things had taken a turn for the worse..."

"Hmph, I'm glad you told us after Lindow's guaranteed recovery instead of immediately telling us sooner." Tsubaki replied back to Aimee's apology in forgiveness. "It would've been cruel to bring everyone's hopes up just to crush them all over again.'

"Actually, I'm glad to hear the news now as well..." Alisa agreed with her. "Ever since Lindow was gone, I always felt like there was something stuck in my heart. I thought I had gotten over it, but... I never felt like the clot would go away."

"Alisa..." Sakuya said to her in sympathy.

"But now, it's all gone and I feel so much better." Alisa confessed, cheering up as she looked toward Aimee with hopeful eyes. "And it's all thanks to you!"

"Heh, I always thought you were acting alone lately for some reason. Turns out this was the reason!" Kota blurted out, a little upset about the secrecy. "You should've told us sooner!"

"But-" Aimee tried to defend herself, but Kota's sigh cut her off.

"Well, guess you couldn't do so when we knew nothing. Anyway, I'm just glad to know that Lindow's back."

"Hmph," Aimee happily nodded to Kota in agreement. Most of the First Unit had forgiven her for her secrecy, all except one.

"Damn you, you're as sneaky as the Doc and my old man." Soma huffed at her with crossed arms.

"Technically if I was sneaky like them, I would've let Lindow just appear again without ever giving away my involvement." Aimee corrected, a little upset that he was still unhappy with her. This wasn't good for battle moral.

"I can't believe you hide this from us." he couldn't believe she would hide this from him.

"We all have secrets, Soma. Secrets that we will eventually reveal to others when we are ready. Isn't that enough?"

"Hmph," Soma grunted, submitting. "I guess now it looks like I can return the favors to Lindow now. And for that... Nais tuke."

"(Gasp) No problem!" Aimee happily replied back, the spirit returned to her. "But we better hurry. I refuse to have Lindow beat us to the party. This is our rescuing mission, so let's go save Shio!"

"Right!" They all cleared while Soma just nodded in agreement.

"I'm counting on you God Eaters, and Guardians! Good Luck!" Tsubaki said to them before they headed off.

"Yes ma'am!"

Entering the locked door that Tsubaki had opened for them, they made their way to Aegis Island. Opening up to each other before the big battle at hand. This would most likely be the hardest fight in their lives, they'd best entire it with nothing holding them back.

"I never thought... I'd be coming back to this Den." Alisa confessed to Aimee as they continued marching on. "I met so many people, and was changed by them. You, Shio, Sakuya, and Lindow... To overcome my inner weakness... To make up for the mistakes I've made... That's why I'm here!"

"No, Alisa." Aimee corrected her, making Alisa flinch in misinterpretation of her words.

"You've already made up for your mistakes. You're here because we need you."

"Aimee..."

"Now let's go stop this crazy Project."

"Yes... Let's finish this!"

"Aimee."

"Hm?" Aimee turned as Kota called out to her.

"I've been thinking a lot... about what you told me a while back. I never got what you meant until now..." Kota confessed to her. "I really... I really struggled to make-up my mind. But unless I did something... I thought... that I'd become a hero."

"You are strong, Kota, you would've had the ability to protect what is precious to you on your own. But a hero is measured more than by his strength and size of his glory, the greatest heroes are measured by their heart."

"I... Yeah... you're right."

"Hmph."

"Come on... let's go rescue Shio!"

"Right!"

Kota had ran ahead, catching up to Alisa as he was starting to feel bumped up. Leaving Aimee in the back with Sakuya and Soma.

"He's something, isn't he?" Sakuya said in admiration as she looked at Kota starting to set the pace in the front. "Thanks to Kota, we can get to Aegis Island."

"He's grown a lot since the first time we saw him. And so have we all."

"Okay, let's hurry over there and save Shio! I know Lindow is doing the same thing."

"Right... let's show him how strong we've become."

"Yes, let's go." With that Sakuya ran further ahead to meet up with the others, leaving Aimee alone with Soma. They were almost there, and their time was running out before the battle. Using whatever time they had left, Soma struggled to get out what he had to say.

"With those guys back, and the Guardians with us, I think it'll help the team somewhat." Soma struggled to find the right words to say. "Of course, that includes you too."

"I should hope so, Soma." Aimee replied back to him with a raised eyebrow. "I'd hate to be the weak link in the chain."

"No... this is what I mean to say..." Soma struggled to get out his words in slight frustration and embarrassment. "You're one of the strongest people I've known... You've help us all out so much, I don't think we could ever repay you for it. So... what I'm asking you is... Please, help us out!"

"... Alright." There was nothing more for Aimee to say. That's all there was to it, she was going to help fight beside them. And that was all Soma wanted and needed to know.

"Oh, man... thanks..."

"Sure... you sap."

"Shut up!" Soma groaned out, flustered. "Let's go get Shio back!"

"Yes... And bust some heads!"

"Hmph, that's a given." Soma commented back with a smirk, earning a giggle from Aimee as they caught up with the others.

Taking the final elevator up, they had finally made it to Aegis Island. It was dark the last time Sakuya and Alisa had infiltrated the place. To see it in the light really brought out the places... cataclysm feeling.

"This is so..." Sakuya gasped out in shock.

"Huge!" Kota finished for her. Jack couldn't help but whistle in agreement.

On the other side of their platform was a Colossal Aragami the likes of which none of them has ever seen before. She had the resemblance of Aisha, Soma's deceased mother, resting in what seemed to appear like a peaceful slumber. Her hair stretched out all over Aegis Island, and most likely through the ocean waters all over the Earth. But what had drawn their eyes was the glowing crest on her forehead... where Shio was strapped to unconsciously.

"Shio!" Soma called out to her as they jumped off the platform onto the launching pad. The Director was standing on a Lifter beside the Colossal Aragami known as Nova. He seemed to be busying himself by reciting a verse before they came into the picture.

"'The tears you offer are all that I crave'... Huh?" He turned back to them as he noticed their appearance. "Soma... It appears that you are quite fond of this Aragami. And that can only be seen as a foolish choice, my son."

"Shut up!" Soma growled at him. "I've never thought of you as my father! Let Shio go!"

"Soma..." Aimee sadly called out to him, placing a hand on his shoulders. She knew there would be no doubtfully tension between the father and son, but she would at least like to keep the hateful words at a minimum. Soma would regret his words someday, that she was certain of it.

Director Johannes just hid his feelings in a smirk, turning to side as he watched Shio's energy bring Nova to life. The crest on her forehead began to glow yellow.

"Very well," Director Johannes complied. "Now that I've obtained the 'Singularity', I have no use for the 'vessel'..."

"!"

"Damn, did I come too late?" Asked the voice of a new appearance as he flipped off of once of Nova's tentacle hair locks and onto the arena.

"(Gasp)!" Sakuya lost her breath in shock. "Lin... dow..."

"Damn." Soma said in shock as he noticed Lindow's arm.

"Oh! Yeaahhh..." Lindow nervously realized what Soma was referring to as he looked down at him own arm. "I had a little maintenance done while I was gone..."

"Lindow..." Kota sadly called out to him, he was relieved that he was okay but saddened that they couldn't do anything to help him fix his arm.

"Hey, no worries, man." Lindow said to Kota, holding out his God Arc with his normal arm while his Aragami-Transformed arm changed into a God Arc. "Now I've got two God Arcs. How cool is that?!"

"(Chuckle) Pretty cool." Ron honestly answered.

"Lucky..." Jack grumbled in agreement.

"And look who else had decided to join the party. Lindow Amamiya back from the dead." Director Johannes chuckled out to Lindow before turning to Aimee. "Another miracle of yours, no doubt. I shall take a note of that."

"Heh. You know me, Director, I could never turned down a party." Lindow joked around. "But you're terrible at this, you didn't even bring beer. You could at least V.P. us to B.Y.O.B."

"Typical humorous as usual, Lindow. I should've known you wouldn't change from your experience outside of the Den."

"Well, it's our job to create extra work for you, it seems, Director." Aimee replied back.

"So long... such a long road to get here..." Johannes sighed out in content relief. "Nurturing Nova's base through many years of managed devouring. Scouring the entire world for viable spaceships to add to my fleet... The project to transport the chosen 1,000. Now, at last, it is about to come to fruition!"

They all gasped as a fleet of spaceships launched into the sky behind the Director. Like a symphony, they raised into the sky as he lifted his hands. But sudden... they began to explode. Six spaceship had appeared to get blasted from the sky in one foul swoop.

"I don't think so, Mr. Schicksal." They looked up to the side of Nova to see Seth, leaning on one of the support columns of the Island as he laid on one of the horizontal supports.

"What?!" Director Johannes gasped in outrage as his years of hard work were just blown from the sky. He should have known he should've gotten rid of Seth sooner, now the fool had called on the Ouroboros breeds to blast his launching spaceships out of the sky. Causing the other ones still on the launch pad a delayed launching as breeds of Sariel surrounded the shuttles.

"None of the humans are going to survive this day. That, I will be certain of."

"You Traitor! You dare to turn against me at the last possible moments!"

"Our goals had finally parted ways, Mr. Schicksal. Besides..." Seth said as he jumped down from his spot to land on to Nova by its open crest, right next to Shio. "You're plan was doomed from the start."

"!" The others gasped in worry at what he could do to Shio from that distance.

"You should have never relied on a child to get the job done." Seth lectured to Johannes while he gently rubbed the back of his hand on Shio's cheek before grabbing her by the throat. "They're too soft hearted to fulfill their duty!"

Violently pulling her out of her attachments to Nova, Seth tossed her to the ground. Without a care of where or how she landed. Instinctively reacting to the child's dangerous decent, Soma and Aimee dashed over to Shio to catch her. Luckily, Seth threw her at an angle so they didn't have to run too far. They both caught her as she was about to hit ground, Aimee grabbing on to her upper half while Soma got the lower. They had both fallen from the force of the fall, bruising their backs as they hit the floor. Aimee cushioned Shio's head from the fall with her chest as they impacted with the floor. Sorely getting back up again, they both immediately went to check on Shio. She was unconscious but she was okay; she was breathing...

"There's no need to get upset, Mr. Schicksal. I'll make sure the deed is done..." Seth said to Johannes as he placed his hand inside the crest. As if Nova had accepted his essence, tendrils began to come from its crest and consume his arm into it. "Ughh!"

"Seth! What are you doing?!" Aimee called up to her as she let Nonna take over for her to check on Shio.

"Ahh, if it isn't my little brother and sister Guardians. Come to see me bring an end to it all?"

"No, we're here to stop you." Aimee growled before her voice turned to concern. "Jesus, Seth, you look terrible."

She was only pointing it out lightly. His skin had taken a more grayish tone as if he were made out of stone, and his emerald eyes had an unnatural glow to them. Even his irises had taken a more slitted form.

"I have been busy, one has to prepare for this day so I haven't had time to keep my appearance." Seth teased at her with a chuckle.

"You know that's not what I meant. Seth, you're not well. I think it's time to put a stop to this."

"A Stop? The humans had butchered Rose like an animal, and now you want me to stop?" Seth began to seethe in rage. "We can't stop now! IT'S TOO LATE TO STOP!"

"!"

"I will not stop until I've killed them all!"

"Rose wouldn't want this, Seth! Don't sully her name!"

"Rose was the only think making this world less putrid! Now that this filth has consumed her light, it's time to put an end to this trash of a planet!"

"You are being far too pessimistic toward the human race!"

"Heh, I lost faith in the human race long ago, Aimee..."

"What right do you have as man to decided whether this world deserves to die or not?!"

"Man? I am no man..." Seth replied to her as Nova consumed more of his body. "I have become a god!"

"You have become one of the filths of the world the moment you strived to be a god." Aimee said to him lividly.

"Hmph, a fire against fire..." Seth thought aloud to himself. "If that's what it takes then I will gladly fit the part!"

"We will stop you!"

"Heh Ha hahaaaa (Hiss)! How? Your deaths by my hands has already been written by Fate."

"Then I shall snatch the pen from Fate and rewrite our fates with my own blood!" Aimee growled at him as she got into a defensive stance.

"By all means, little one, try." Seth said to them before being fully consumed by Nova. "**I will... never be stopped.**"

Nova began to morph and changed as a glowing light from its body blinded everyone from the processes. While this was going on, Aimee decided to prepare for action.

"Nonna, take Shio out of here!" Aimee ordered. "Things are about to get messy."

"All right..." Nonna complied, taking Shio from Soma and running back toward the elevator platform.

"Soma, go get you dad!"

"Tst, dammit." He made have growled in complaint, but he still didn't hesitate to dash over to Nova to grab his dad from its blinding light. The heat from its light was starting to burn with its energy.

Jumping onto the Lift, he caught Johannes off guard as the binding light made him unable to see who had grabbed him and had them both jumping off of the Lift. He was surprised that it was his son that came to his rescue as his eyes finally adjusted to the light as they moved further away.

"Soma..."

"Don't think too deep into this, Dad." Soma huffed at him as he turned his head away. "I just didn't want you to be finished off by a bastard like that, that's all."

"Hmph... that's my boy." Johannes smirked to himself as he let his son help carry him back over to safer grounds due to his heat exhaustion from being so close to Nova.

"Get ready, everybody!" Yummie warned as they others started to get into a defensive position. "The light is starting to fade!"

"Right... let's take this guy down!" Lindow encouraged.

"Lindow... can you believe it?" Sakuya said over to him. "We finally made it this far. And it's all thanks to everyone here."

"Yeah... they've come along way." He agreed. "I can trust them to have my back now..."

"I... all this time, I've been waiting for someone to create a haven where my family and friend could be safe." Kota said as he readied himself for battle. "But now I realize it's such an easy thing to accomplish. I just have to become that haven myself. And I'm ready to fight... to create it."

"Me too," Alisa agreed. "Thanks to you all, I finally realized something. That even someone like me can protect someone else."

"Enough with the chit-chat." Soma said to them as he rejoined the team, tightening his grip on his God Arc. "You guys... back me up!"

"**I will stall the Apocalypse long enough, for now...**" Seth announced to them as the blinding light finally faded away. Revealing that Nova no longer took the form of Aisha, but of Seth himself. Slowly flipping over, to right himself in his Colossal form. Seth looked down at them, finally opening the Colossal large eyes, revealing it glowing Amber's. "**Just so I can finish you all off myself!**"


	32. Chapter 32

A Blithe or a Tragedy

"Seth! It's time to put an end to this!" Aimee shouted at him, earning a smirk from the Colossal Nova as it crossed its arms.

"**Hmph, indeed Aimee.**" Seth agreed with her. "**I have a special gift for you all, just for the occasion.**"

"?!" They all braced themselves for whatever was about to come as Seth lifted up his large arm and something floated down toward them from out of the sky.

"**It has taken me so long to nurture her remains of Oracle Cells. But after years of tender care, I have finally been able to regenerate her form from what was left of her remains in South America!**"

"(Gasp)!" The Guardian's eyes opened wide in shock as the voluptuous humanoid female Aragami came down into view for them. She was much larger than she was in life, but her hair... her body... Even if her eyes weren't her usual crimson red, but a glowing pink, they'd recognize her face any where.

"Rose..." Aimee sadly called out to it. But it did not respond, nor even show recognition of them. It may have looked like Rose, but this... this was not their Rose.

Her porcelain skin now looked more ivory. And the armor that she usual wore to fights had taken a more revealing tone as it only fulfilled its duty of covering her vital private parts- although the back end did drape down to her ankle like a gown. The Dark blue armor glorified her breasts and legs, as arm glove armor covered up to the back of her palms and long high heeled boots covered up to her thighs. She was lovely in this form, but she looked so cold and vicious.

"**I couldn't find her Saber, so she'll have to make due with her own strength. Now...**" Seth said to them before commanding to his Aragami Rose. "**Finish them off, my beauty.**"

The Aragami Rose wouldn't talk to them, only screeching, like the Aragami she was.

"Do you think sending us a copy of Rose would stop us from stopping you?" Aimee said quietly, boiling with livid rage. "Like you said, it's too late to stop! You made it too late to stop! You'll regret this, Seth! I swear it, you'll regret this!"

"Aimee!" Nonna silently questioned for orders as her hand readied to grab one of her pistols.

"You guys stay out of this." Aimee ordered. "Soma, Kota, and Alisa and I will take care of this. You guys focus on Seth."

"But Aimee-"

"Just go, Yummie! I don't want you guys to dirty your hands with this... Rose wouldn't want that..."

"... All right, child. Best send her remains to the other side this time." Kamali sighed to Aimee in silent gratitude.

"I will, Kamali... That, I will..."

"**You fools...**" Seth mocked at them as Rose charged at them. Catching them off guard as her arms stretched to smacked them back as she leaped at them.

"Whoa!" Kota exclaimed in surprised as they were knocked down. Getting back on his feet again, he began firing toward Rose's face, making Aimee flinch a little inside.

Ignoring his efforts, Rose leaped into the air again. Her hair wildly flinging in the air as she jumped at them. Going down on all fours as she attacked them low. Making matters worse, as she dropped to the ground, Jen jumped at them from behind her.

"Ah!" Alisa cried out in surprise as she pulled out her shield to push back Jen from her. Taking advantage of their mindset of her location, Jen leaped from Alisa to go for Soma's jugular.

"Gh!" Soma grunted out in realization that he didn't have time to dodge this one. He was using his shield to block Rose's attack, Jen was coming at him from the side. Just as Jen was closing in from the air, Duke blocked her by taking her down from the side. Thus saving Soma's life... "Thanks."

Duke let out a low grunt and a nod in reply before pouncing on Jen again as she got up on her paws. As the PARs busied themselves with a one-on-one fight, the fight with Rose was still going on. Curling up inside herself, Rose burst out, releasing a burst of energy with her as she shot the others back. Going the extra mile, she held out her hand and started to fire spheres of energy at them to push them back.

Still firing at her from a distance, Kota had managed to damaged the armor in her arm gloves, knocking her to the ground and on her knees. Rose did her best to curl up inside herself, to make her self less open for attacks. But the others still took advantage of her downed position, although it did tear at Aimee a little inside. She looked so vulnerable at that position, it made her feel like she was killing Rose again herself.

"**Don't touch her!**"

"Duck!" Yummie called out. They all dashed and jumped to the side as a Colossal arm came down in the middle of the arena, nearly crushing them in the process. While he was exposing himself to them, the Guardians decided to take advantage of it. "Hurry! Get him while his arm is down!"

They attacked at his arm with their weapons as long as they could before he slowly lifted back up again.

"**Little pest,**" Seth hissed at them as his eyes began to glow brighter. "**Off with you!**"

"Whoa!" Jack shouted out as they all dodged the line of laser fire Seth shot from his eyes.

"He's an X-men!" Ron joked around.

"Is this really the time to make a Marvel joke?" Kamali calmly asked.

"Hell no," Ron honestly answered. "But I'm still gonna do it."

"Move," Azuma simply instructed as he tried to attack Seth from the side of his tentacle hair locks.

"Right," Kamali agree, cracking her whip as she struck it at one of his moving arms.

"**My power will over whelm you!**" Seth shouted at them as he blinded the arena with his blinding light that slightly burned them.

"Ahh! Don't give up, keep going!" Aimee encouraged to everyone.

"Right! Eat this!" Lindow roared as he delivered a hard strike to Rose's legs, destroying her boots armor and knocking her off her feet again. While down, Lindow and Soma had manage to destroy her armored hair with their God Arcs. "Looks like you could've used the hair cut anyway."

"She always had... the prettiest hair..." Aimee commented as she delivered the final blow. Rose cried out in a shriek as she permanently feel to the ground. Her head turned to the side as she looked at Aimee, her eyes dimming as the life in them faded. "I'm sorry..."

Meanwhile with Duke, he had finally gotten the opening he needed and ripped out Jen's jugular. The great cat, roared out in pain as she fell to the ground in defeat. She purred out a painful whimper as she laid on the ground and bled out, the glow from her core dimming. Sadden by what was to come next as well, Duke slowly walked up to her and readied to devour her core. But just as he was about to bite down, Soma had gently pushed him back.

"I'll eat this one..." Soma said to Duke, changing his God Arc into Devouring mode to deliver the Mercy Killing. It would have been cruel to make Duke deliver the finally bite to a fallen comrade, placing the deed upon himself, Soma had decided to do the task. Looking at his Devouring mode God Arc then back down at Jen, Soma said one final word to her before taking her to her final meal. "Sorry..."

But Jen had a look of happiness in her eyes as Soma's God Arc sunk it's sharp jaws around her core. She had a look of relief, as if thanking Soma for releasing her from her earthly bounds. As his God Arc devoured her core, it began to turn into a pure white just like her fur as her eyes began to close for the last time. Duke whimpered as he nuzzled his nose to Jen in one final comfort before rubbing up on the side of Soma's arm.

"Hmph," instead of pushing the mutt away like Soma usually would've done in the past. He allowed Duke to seek the comfort of his presence. "I guess we're even now."

Duke let out a huff of air at that statement, earning playful rub from Soma that was almost like a noogie.

"**You have destroyed my partner and crushed my flower.**" Seth hissed out in rage. "**Jen has served her purpose, but regardless of that. You will pay for even stomping out one of my flowers!**"

"One of them?" Aimee nervously repeated out loud as shrieks began to sound all around the Aegis arena. Countless Roses began to jump down from the sky onto the Aegis dome supports as they shriek at the others below in ready for battle. Some appeared out of the shadow as they shrieked like crows. The others began to gather around each other, back-to-back, as they looked up at the overwhelming numbers surrounding them.

"This is... insane!" Sakuya gasped out in surprised horror.

"There's no way we could handle all these numbers!" Alisa cried out in hopeless truth.

"We have to try." Aimee insisted. "Even if we die we have to try."

"..." Sinking in her words. Azuma had turned to his right, grabbing Kamali by surprise as he dipped her into a deep kiss.

"!" They all turned to him in shock with wide eyes, they did not expect that from the quiet one among the Guardians.

"What the hell are you doing, Azuma?!" Yummie shouted out at him with a raised eyebrow. Kamali had the same question as well, but she wasn't as pressed for an answer as she relaxed into his lips. Finally releasing her lips for breath, Azuma swooped Kamali back onto her feet as if nothing had happened.

"If I am possibly going to die today, I'm not going to go down without at least expressing my feelings toward my precious one at least once." Azuma answered before getting back into a fighting stance again.

"Azuma..." Kamali gently called out to him in understanding before bringing up her shield into the defensive as well.

"He's got a good point. You can still make it if you run Sakuya." Lindow said over to her, looking at her with only his eyes as he refused to move out of his fighting position. "Get out of here... hurry."

"No," Sakuya said starting to cry again. "I won't leave you again. And I won't be left behind again... I just won't... Lindow..."

"Mom... Nozomi..." Kota began to say shakenly as he readied himself to his fate. "I'm sorry... I couldn't... keep my promise."

"Don't give me that!" Soma barked at the sudden depressing air that was starting to fill the group. "That's not... that's not what I signed up for!"

"Nobody did. So let's finish them off so we can go the hell home!" Ron shouted in agreement.

"He's right," Aimee nodded before jumping out when the first Rose had finally jumped into the arena. "Let's give'em hell!"

They all charged at a Rose as they came jumping down into the arena. Some of them stretched out their arms in a knife-hand attack, others just shot sphere energy at them. And then the most daring ones stretched out their arms and did a swiping dance that smack some damage onto the group if they were in her large reaching area.

There were more from where those Roses came from, and more kept coming as the group had finally taken down a few and extracted their cores. They were already on their last health items, pretty soon they would be on their own and overwhelmed.

"It's no use, they just keep coming!" Aimee cried out, out of breath as she knocked one of the Roses she was fighting in the face and onto the ground, giving her time to catch her breath. "No matter how hard we fight back, they just keep coming!"

"You can't keep fighting in that mind set, Aimee!" Soma called out to her in suggested in the heated moment of battle. "You can't beat fire with fire, Aimee, you have to beat it with water!"

"!" Suddenly a light bulb clicked on in Aimee's head. "Water! That's it! We need water!"

"What?" Soma raised an eyebrow at her while his Rose was missing him with her laser beam attack.

"If we can't beat him with strength and violence, we'll have to beat him with love!"

"What?!"

"Cover me, Soma!"

"What the hell are you going to do?!"

"Something completely insane!" Aimee shouted back to him as she jumped onto the platform closes to Nova. From there she began to let out a long and loud whistle.

"?!" The Guardians slightly turned to Aimee in shock as she continued to whistle, only stopping to catch her breath. Her whistling was even starting to catch Nova's attention.

"What is she doing?!" Kota asked to Soma, coming to him as he rolled out of the way of his Rose's stretched out arm attack.

"I have no idea." Soma honestly answered, getting in front of Kota as he blocked one of the Roses oncoming sphere attacks with his shield.

"(Whistle)!" Aimee continued to whistle until her face was starting to flush red. Trying to get the impossible to happen, when... suddenly... it happened. One of the Roses... turned toward her as she made the sound. "Found you!"

Locking on to that one Rose, Aimee charged at her and knocked her on the ground. Straddling her to the ground as her legs trapped Rose's arms down in place. Ignoring her surroundings around her, she began to make her hands glow as she touched just above Rose's chests and entered into a Resonance.

"!" They all gasped in concern as she took a P70 Bias Factor from the security inside the front of her corset and thrust the needle into the Rose's heart while leaving herself wide open.

She must have grab one of the extra P70 Bias Factor needles when Nonna told her to take one of the P63 Bias Factor needles just in case her Oracle Cells decided to deactivate on her again as a side effect to Seth's Oracle Cell enhanced blade's impalement. Perhaps she grab it having a feeling something like this would happen. Perhaps she had hoped that Seth would change his ways in the end and brought the P70 Bias Factor needle just in case. Either way, it was just what she needed to get the job done.

"What are you doing?!" Soma barked at Aimee as he slashed away a Rose's incoming arm at her. Aimee simply turned to her fellow Guardians with desperate eyes.

"Come on! Help me!" She ordered at them as the fight suddenly left the Rose she was straddling and her eyes closed into what seemed to be a slumber. "We need to help her remember!"

"?!" They questioned her logic, but wasted no time knelling beside the Rose. Aimee settled for moving to the Rose's side, since the Rose was no longer putting up a fight, beside the others as they joined Aimee in a Resonance.

"Think of every memory you have with Rose and push it into her." Aimee instructed to them without stopping her Resonance in the process. "Cover us, guys! We need some time!"

"Ugh, Dammit!" Soma growled out in complaint as the First Unit took the strategic route of circling around the Guardians as they worked on the unconscious Rose. Making it easier to keep a solid defense around each other, but also making them sitting targets for the other Roses. Countless stretching arms swacked at them as they could only block them with their shields. Kota and Sakuya could only do so much, shooting back some of the Roses as they started to close in.

"Dammit, can you hurry the hell up with whatever you're doing?!" Soma growled at Aimee in frustration while releasing a charge strike on one of the Roses trying to float charge at them.

"We're doing the best we can here! Don't distract us!"

"Please hurry then." Alisa requested as she change modes to fire at the oncoming Roses.

"Take this!" Kota shouted at one as he blasted it in the face with one of his missiles, knocking it to the floor was the impact.

"**What are you doing to my Rose?!**" Seth growled at them, bringing one of his hands down on them to try and crush them.

"Oh, this is bad!" Kota cried out as the looming shadow over them got larger and larger.

"Hurry up!" Soma growled as the hand got closer over them.

"Almost..." Aimee groaned out, the glow from their Resonances got brighter while the hand got closer.

"Almost...!" The Guardians began to break into a sweat, the Resonance was taking a lot out of them.

"Got it!" Aimee cried out in relief. The Guardians fell back on their backs as they instantly ended their Resonances and caught their breaths on the floor. Finally realizing the looming hand trying to crush down on them.

But just as the hand was only ten feet from the ground, the Rose that they had been working on had opened her eyes again. Only this time... they were crimson.

"**Seth.**"

"**?!**" His hand paused in action, slowly returning back to his body as his amber eyes looked wide open at her.

"**Seth...**"

"Whoa!" Kota jumped back in caution as the Rose got back on her feet again. The other Roses started to back away in fright for some reason, as if under command of a dominating alpha.

"What's happening?" Soma said, looking toward the non-aggressive Rose before looking back down at the tired Aimee who laid on the floor along with the other Guardians. "What did you do?"

"You said before... that Oracle Cells will keep regenerating... unless extracted from the core and devoured." Aimee said tiredly out of breath. "Seth said that these Roses were made from the remains of Rose's Oracle Cells. They were never deactivated by one of the PARs, so I simply jump started them with memories."

"You mean that..."

"She was the only Rose with the most of Rose's Oracle Cells... So in a way... we just woke Rose up from a long sleep into her new body..."

"So this Aragami... is the real Rose...?" Kota asked in nervous, he found it strange that the aggressive tension in the atmosphere had just simply disappeared at the sound of the Aragami's voice.

"What's left of her, yeah..."

"**Seth...**" Rose called out to him again, looking around at the place before looking up at him again with disappointed eyes. "**What have you done?**"

"**Rose...**"

"**We're you really trying to play 'god' and destroy all of humanity? How could you...?**"

"**But... they let you die...**"

"**(Sigh) A brave man thinks no one his superior's who does him an injury; for he has it then in his power to make himself superior to the other by forgiving it.**" Rose quoted to him in a chime tone. "**Isn't it about time that you did the forgiving?**"

"**Hmph, using Alexander Pope against me.**" Seth chuckled as Nova before revealing the real him from the tendrils that came from Nova's crest. Coming down to her level, revealing just his upper half to her. His time inside Nova had done permanent effects to him. His skin was a light gray, his platinum strands were as strong as steel, and his eyes were forever a glowing emerald. His face had soften to an expression that Aimee thought she would never see on Seth again after the lost of Rose. "**How like you...**"

"**To err is human,**" Rose chuckled at him before reaching up a hand to touch his cheek. "**I think we've suffered this world long enough...**"

"**No. They haven't suffered enough for what they've done to you.**"

"**Have they haven't suffered enough, or is it you who haven't suffered enough?**"

"**?!**"

"**How long are you going to keep blaming yourself for what happened?**"

"**But... I didn't stop them from hurting you. I let you die...**"

"**And I've never blamed you, not once...**" Rose said to him, pressing her forehead on his. "**You came for me. That's all that ever mattered.**"

"**Rose...**" Seth said to her before Nova began to shake the island as the Devouring Apocalypse could no longer be stalled.

"**We've changed so much, and you've done so many terrible things, I don't think this world can hold us anymore. Seth... I don't want this world to disappear.**" Rose wrapped her arms around his neck as she rested her head to the side of his in their embrace. "**Even if it's not perfect, I love it so much. Can't we save it...?**"

"**...**" Seth looked at her from the corner of his eyes, softening toward her and only her. "**There is a way...**"

"**There is?**"

"**It looks like this is the end of our long journey on this world.**"

"**Seth?**"

"**Could you...**" Seth pulled back away from her embrace to look at her with such vulnerable eyes. "**Come with me, Rose?**"

"**Yes...**" Rose nodded to him, cupping his cheek in her hand which he in turn cupped hers. "**I will never leave you again...**"

"Rose? Seth?" Aimee called out to them in alarm as the tendrils of Nova began to consume them both and retract back into its crest.

"**Go Aimee... you and your companions get back.**" Seth instructed to her while Nova began to shake back to live again and began to rise.

"What are you two doing?! Just stop that thing!" Kota shouted up toward them in alarm that Nova was still working.

"I'll be assertive for once, it's impossible." Dr. Sakaki said to the group as he finally made his appearance, walking up to them.

"Doctor?" Sakuya was confused at his appearance at last after all this time.

"Doc, Shio and my dad-"

"They're both fine, Soma. I left them where they were by the entrance platform. They'll be much safer there." Dr. Sakaki answered the question he already knew Soma was going to ask. "As I said before, now that Nova has been activated, it cannot be stop. Looks like we can't go against fate after all."

"Doc... do you mean that... we cannot stop that monstrosity?!" Kota cried out to him in heartbroken frustration.

"**No... Nova cannot be stopped.**" Seth answered Kota honestly in a calm voice. "**However...**"

"?!"

"However what?!" Sakuya asked.

"**We can take Nova somewhere else...**"

"**Somewhere beautiful; so close and yet so far away.**" Rose added on. "**Some place that could use a touch of life...**"

"!" They all had an idea where she was talking about, her words weren't that much of a riddle.

"You mean... you're taking Nova to the Moon?!" Sakuya gasped out.

"**My Guardians... I can never truly atone for the things I have done, nor will I try to. But I can set things right as your elder brother.**"

"What? But Seth, Rose, we finally got you back. This isn't fair!" Yummie pouted out.

"**(Chuckle) Yummie, I'm so proud of you...**" Rose praised to her while Nova lifted higher into the sky. "**You grown so much since the last time I've seen you. I no longer have to worry about you facing the world on your own...**"

"But Rose!" Aimee called out to them.

"**Our time in this world has ended. Now... we must start again from some place new and make way for the new generation.**" Rose said down to them. "**But... I promise we'll look after you guys from where we are...**"

"May you have a safe journey to the stars, Rose and Seth." Kamali said in blessing to them in her way of goodbye.

"**Everyone... I am so sorry... about Charlie.**" Seth honestly confessed to them. "**But as Rank 1, I have one final order to give to you: Keep the code of the Guardians, for my Rose.**"

"Seth," Aimee called out to him.

"**What is it?**"

"I hate you for what you have done to Charlie. But... I'm willing to forgive you, just this once. For peace of mind for you, and for myself... This is a once in a life-time opportunity, so... just promise you'll look after Rose for us, okay?"

"**Hm... that's more of a bargain than I can ever ask for. Thank you...**"

"**I guess it's time for us to go.**" Nova began to launch into the sky as Rose said her final goodbyes. "**Thank you... all of you.**"

And so Nova launched into the sky, taking the cataclysm with it along with Rose and Seth. Launching onto the moon where it released its final feast, and brought about life onto the Moon.

As the grass and trees grew on the Moon, along with the bushes, water from under the Moon's surface began to surface and nourish the green life. Walking among the new garden alone, Rose and Seth stood hand in hand. No longer human from the many things that have happen. They looked up toward the Earth as a Neo Adam and Eve...


	33. Chapter 33

Province of the Guardians

Aegis was partially destroyed, due to Nova's launch to the Moon. The Director of the Far East Branch, was placed under custody of the Fenrir authority, due to his part in the Aegis Project. His trial has been postponed as he recovers from his injuries. They were minor at best; however, Fenrir HQ was having a hard time at finding a way to deal with Director Johannes actions.

However, the official line of HQ was that Aegis Island was partially destroyed due to a surprise attack of a new form of Aragami, Fallen Arda Nova. And the Director, Johannes von Schicksal, had died that very same day due to a collapse in the structure. The Ark Project was buried among their secrets files, never to be heard of again...

The pain of countless deaths have yet to heal, from the increase of Aragami activity due to the activation of Nova and the starting of the first stage of the Devouring Apocalypse. It took ages for life to go back to normal. The ships that did not launch had safely returned the passengers back to their homes, lucky for them most of the passengers were God Eaters and had brought their God Arcs so they kept the Aragami at bay. While the passengers on the spaceships that were destroyed during launch were lost. Many tensions were brought upon the Chosen few that had returned. But the God Eaters that were pro-Ark that had returned to the Den were welcomed back with open arms, the rest of the Den was just glad that they were okay.

The existence of Shio... had continued to remain hidden from HQ and the other Branches, except for the selected few in the Far East Branch. Soon she was revealed to the other members of the Den, registered as a New-Type Gods Eater in the Den under fake identification. None could ever tell the little girl that had joined the Den's forces was actually an Aragami. And a times- to the secrecy and embarrassment of Soma, but he had to keep his word- would sing to Soma's violin along with Aimee as he played, as Aimee would teach her how to dance...

Lindow... had happily been reinstated into the Den, Aragami-Transformation and all. He successfully returned to duty, and had eventually married Corporal Sakuya Tachibana soon after his return. He currently works directly under the Acting Director, Paylor Sakaki, as a ranger, and mainly serves a role as instructor for new Gods Eater recruits. Ren, his God Arc's soul, currently still freely walks along the Den. Noticed and acknowledge by the Guardians and Lindow, and not by anyone else, occasionally accompanies Aimee and Lindow on missions. And still enjoys a can of First Love Juice with them along with Shio and the other Guardians. Most of the First Unit acknowledge his existence, though they have yet to see him. This information has yet to leave the knowledge of the First Branch as it is only in its beginning stage of research. However, Ren has become an inspiration to the other God Arc souls to open up to the Guardians and actually talk to them. Surprisingly, since this revelation, First Love Juice has been selling off the chart in the Den and is currently the best seller in the Far East Branch.

However, due to the events that have occurred in the Far East Branch. Many of the other Branches had started to turn their eyes onto the Guardians. And have demanded for the return of each Guardian to their native homeland Branch. Their unique power has caught the interest of many Higher ups eyes, and they wanted nothing but to get a hold of them for their own Branch. This had lead to many heavy arguments among the meeting of the Branches and demands from the Far East Branch.

Though the Branches could argue among themselves all they wanted, the fact of the matter was only Aimee Lavinia was registered as a member of Fenrir under the title of First Unit Leader. All other Guardians were only close associates of Fenrir, an Alliance Partnership that had no rightful authority over the other. Unless they had somehow had gotten Dr. Nowak to convince them, the Guardians would not budge to their whims. They could argue about handing over Aimee to the Europe Branch, but the Far East Branch would give up a foot before they gave up Aimee. Not to mention the wrath Soma would bring down upon Fenrir if they did.

And so, there they sat in a Pow-wow amongst themselves. Eyes closed in meditation as they sat on the floor, while the other First Unit members nervously sat at the table in the Meeting Room on the Executive's Floor as the other Branch Director's met with Dr. Sakaki on Skype.

"Ron Cage was originally from our regions. It is within our rights to call back a national citizen back to our soils." The Director from the California Branch reasoned.

"True, but he was from the state of Utah." Dr. Sakaki countered back. "You've lost that state to the Aragami years ago. Does that citizenship obligation still count if the region he is from is now apart of the wasteland?"

"Hmph."

"Sorry, Ron."

"You're just being honest, Doc."

"Even so, with his help, we could possibly gain back the land we have lost from the Aragami. We could expand our Branches and make more living room for the Ghettos." The California Branch Director continued to reason.

"I agree," jumped in the Egypt Branch Director. "Kamali's homeland may have been taken over by the Aragami. But we still have hopes of reclaiming them back with her help. And possibly making safer passage way from our Branch to the South Africa Branch with the hopes of expansion and new Branches between the way."

"The Down Under could use a spirit like Jack Walsh back." Added in the Australia Branch Director. "He could give the Aragami a what-what, eh."

"And Russia demands for its Nonna Zharkov back." Insisted the Russia Branch Director. "We've already given you our very own first New-Type Gods Eater. It is greedy of you to take two of our needed fighters."

"Indeed, and the Europe Branch could really use a fighter like Aimee-"

"Aimee is out of the question." Dr. Sakaki said to the Europe branch Director, putting his foot down on this one.

"Don't be unreasonable, Dr. Sakaki. We're already sending you one of our New-Types-"

"As a recruit. And frankly, I see the only reason you brought them here is because we have the best trainers in Fenrir. Lindow, who even though has an Aragami-Transformed is surprisingly still a good mentor to the new blood God Eaters. And Aimee, who isn't even a Gods Eater and yet still trains to newbies into the best fighters we've got."

"Even more of a reason why you should give her up." Countered the Europe Branch. "You've already got two superior trainers in your Branch. It's only fair that you share one of them to the other Branches so our God Eaters have a better chance of survival as well."

"And Yummie Song comes from the soil of Ancient China." Reminded the China Branch Director. She was one of the oldest Director Fenrir had so far, right next to the New York Branch Director. "It is about time that our blooming flower returned to us."

"None of the Guardians are leaving from this Branch unless they choose to go." Dr. Sakaki pointed out. "None of them are under contract to Fenrir, except for Aimee. But we aren't given her away anytime soon."

"Doctor!" "Dr. Sakaki!" "Doc!" Hey!" The First Unit growled out simultaneously at his remark.

"Sorry, guys. I didn't mean any harm, I simply meant that we weren't going to give her up."

"And are we to assume you won't be given up the other Guardian's any time soon?" Asked the Central America Branch Director.

"No. Not unless they decided to go themselves."

"We'll go."

"What?!" The First Unit and Dr. Sakaki gasped at Aimee little outburst. She finally decided to talk during this whole meeting and it was only to drop a bombshell like this on them. Tsubaki and the other Directors had their eyes wide open by her sudden compliance as well.

"We're needed in more than one place." Aimee informed as she got up from her place in the Pow-wow circle. "It is our duty and our sacred mission as Guardians to defend the world, not just one place. If our homelands are in need of our help, then we are to go to their aid.

"So... will you all be transferring to other Branches?" The Brazil Branch Director asked.

"I'm sorry, Sir, but... our Guardian from your homelands has passed away a long time ago. We have no one to send to your lands, or South America for that matter. But I'm sure that Ron can look after both you and North America."

"Hmph," Ron nodded fist pumping his chest in compliance. "You can count on me! Terra and I will fight for the Americas!"

"Nonna, Yummie, you okay with going back to your home countries?"

"Hmph, yes..." Nonna nodded. "If Mother Russia needs me, then I shall go to her."

"Me too," Yummie agreed with Nonna, energetically nodding. "I'm just so excited to see a woman in power in my homelands. Means that my country has risen to a higher power. I want to be there to help it rise further!"

"I guess I can go home too." Jack sighed out in agreement. "I was kinda starting to miss it anyway. Guess I can wrestle some Gboro down in the Down Under, right?"

"That's the spirit, mate!" The Australia Branch Director cheered in agreement.

"But, Azuma... what will you do?" Yummie asked him. "I mean, you're already in Japan anyway."

"Hmph," Azuma crossed his arms and looked away from the others. "If Kamali decides to return to Africa, I would like to go with her as well."

"..." Kamali looked at him for a second as the others looked at him for his silent bold statement. He practically was saying, 'I will never be apart from her, so long as I am standing.'

"Yes... I will go back to Africa. My Ebele roots call me to home. However..." She turned to Azuma and smiles as she cupped his cheek in her hand, taking his breath away. "My heart will be more than happy, if you came along with me."

"..." Azuma had no need for words, he simply nodded. "Hmph, wild girl."

"Hmph, stone boy." Kamali teased back, smiling as he smirked.

"Each of you can grab the toys you want from the Vault, whatever is left will automatically go to Jack." Aimee instructed, earning a fist pump from Jack.

"Yes!"

"Except Mamba, that will automatically go to Yummie."

"Oh Yeah!" Yummie cheered as she did a little victory dance. But she suddenly stopped when the Europe Director brought of something important.

"So what about you, Aimee?"

"?!" The First Unit flinched as he brought up that question, and the possibility of Aimee's answer.

"Will you join us at our Branch."

"..." All paused as they waited for her answer.

"... No."

"!" The First Unit let out a sigh of relief they had no idea they were holding in.

"No? What do you mean no?"

"I have my duties to fulfill as a Guardian here, and as a First Unit Leader. The other Guardians can handle the rest of the world by themselves. Until other reasons or I am no longer needed my place is here."

"But... we need you here, Aimee." The Europe Branch Director insisted. "New breeds of Aragami have been appearing in our Branch area by the month. Giant one's at that, even a mysterious one that looks like a boar."

"?" Aimee paused at his information. "A boar you say?"

"Yes, it's been showing up in our area for years. A giant boar with tusk that it uses to charge at Aragami. Ramming Aragami during our mission that were about to become massive failure with casualties, then it would devour the Aragami and disappear. Leaving the wounded alone and just walking off to only be seen again in glimpses like that."

"Oh. Then don't worry about it. It's just Isabela..." Aimee waved off in relief. To know that a piece of Charlie was still alive in this world, even his PAR, was more than enough for her. Tugging at the side of her dress, Alisa called for Aimee's attention.

"Hey, if Charlie's PAR is still alive, then doesn't that mean that Charlie is still alive too?" Alisa whispered to Aimee in question. "Can't you just bring him back like Seth did to Rose?"

"PARs can still live, even if their partner is dead." Aimee whispered back in answer. "And unlike Rose, Charlie's Oracle Cells were stopped from regenerating by an Oracle Cell enhanced weapon. I may be a miracle worker at times, but I am not a divine savior. Charlie is dead."

"Oh... I'm so sorry, Aimee..."

"Don't worry about it, Alisa." Aimee assured to her, rubbing the top of her head playfully. "Your intentions were good. And they also gave me a good idea..."

"?"

"Director of Brazil, I can only ask of Ron to do so much for the Americas. However, as a Guardian. I can get all of the Guardians to help revive our fallen PAR of our South American Representative Guardian, Michelle."

"!"

"Like Isabella, she will protect your lands from the Aragami and your people. But much better, since she has the will and skills of a dragon."

"How can we trust such a beast?!"

"Isabela has caused no recorded casualties to the European Branch's Forces, I can assure you, Michelle will do the same. And with her parent still around to Resonate with her, she should be able to carry your wounded back to you if need be."

"So this mysterious Boar Aragami that has been roaming our land for decades is actually a PAR?"

"Yes," Aimee answered, bringing her attention back to the screen of Directors. "And she's one of the best PARs you could have. She will guard your lands from the outside, while keeping your people safe in the inside."

And if anything... Isabelle has most likely been keeping her people safe out in the wasteland as well. The thought brought a huge smile on her face...

"I believe they've made their decision." Dr. Sakaki concluded, bringing the Skype meeting to an end. "You'll get your Guardians as soon as the next Transfer tour comes around."

*** Two weeks later ***

"So this is it then. This is goodbye..." Yummie sadly pointed out as they all gathered in the Entrance one last time before their Choppers have arrived. They had left for Chile a while ago to regenerate Michelle's Oracle Cells back. That dragon of a PAR was flying around South America destroying Aragami as we speak. Silently content with her new position as her partner would Resonate with her while the sun was out, and look down upon her from her place on the Moon.

They had returned to the Den immediately after to serve the rest of their two weeks there with their friends. The Den had already thrown them a farewell party the night before, and most of the God Eaters were sleeping off the hang over. Soma was the only one not tired enough to send off the Guardians along with Aimee. He silently waited and leaned on the side railing of the top level of the Entrance as Aimee said her goodbyes.

"No, Yummie. This is never a goodbye, we will always be one." Aimee assured to her, bringing her in into a comforting hug. "That's what being a Guardian is about."

"Okay... Promise you'll write?"

"I'll even send in pictures with the email. I'll be sure to visit when I can. And I will definitely come to your aid when ever you call for help."

"Okay! That's a promise, right?" Yummie asked, holding out her pinkie to Aimee.

"(Giggle) It's a promise." Aimee replied, pinkie swearing with her. Breaking from Yummie's embrace, Aimee went over to Nonna. Placing a supporting hand on her shoulder as Nonna did the same for her.

"You're the big sister in Mother Russia's family now." Aimee teased at her. "Don't be too rough on them."

"Hmph, only enough to toughen them up." Nonna replied back to her with a rare smirk. The girls rarely talk much when they would converse but that was all they needed.

"Jack..." Aimee said as she turned over to him. "I know there's no point saying stay out of trouble. Trouble just happens to always find you. And I can hardly tell you to quit fighting crocodiles and kangaroos. That's like saying 'stop being you'."

"Now you guys are finally getting the picture, mate." Jack chuckled as he gave her a one arm hug. "I'll knock the block out of one Gboro's teeth, just for you."

"Aw, that's so sweat, coming from you. Then I'll be sure to make you a necklace out of Chi-You wing parts while you're gone."

"Ooh, you better Express-mail that to me, love." Jack said in excite.

"I'll do that." Aimee chuckled before turning over to Kamali. They both grabbed onto each others shoulder side, as costume in Kamali's homeland in greeting or goodbyes. "And Kamali, I made this for you. So you'll have something physical to remember us by."

"(Gasp) It's beautiful, child..." Kamali said in awe as Aimee pulled out a necklace made of Raven Feathers, Black Wings, and Raven Great Wings from her corset with her free hand and put it on Kamali's neck.

"I made it out of the features Lindow created when he was going through his recovery. I thought you would like it."

"I love it, child." Kamali said in affect while gently rubbing the feathers with her hands before wrapping her arms around Aimee for a second for a quick hug. "Thank you, Aimee."

"No, Kamali, thank you... for being such a good friend. And a guidance for me when I refuse to listen to sense."

"That we all need at times, child."

"Hmph," Aimee nodded in agreement before looking up at Anzi. "Well, Anzi, it's been fun. Take care of Kamali for me while I'm gone."

Anzi groaned at her in goodbye, lifting her off her feet in a bear hug as his strong grip squeezed the breath out of her.

"(Huff) Alright buddy, there, there." Aimee squeaked out to him. "Too much love."

She left out a heavy breath as he finally let go. Going the extra measure, Anzi tried gently to pat her head, but with his monstrous size and strength is wasn't as gentle as he tried to be. But Aimee didn't mind, she was use to his attempts of gentle affection. The PAR was the sweetest PAR out of them all, regardless of his monstrous appearance.

"Bye, bye, buddy." Aimee tapped him on the shoulder before taking a step back from him. Anzi groaned again and slowly waved goodbye to her, which she returned in gesture. Moving on to her next comrade, she respectively bowed to Azuma.

"Azuma."

"Aimee." He replied back with a bow as well.

"It's been an honor fighting along side you."

"And to you as well. You were a great leader, which I would trust with my life."

"I am humbled by your words." Aimee honestly said, because Azuma was a calculating individual. He wouldn't waste his time with words, unless he actually means them.

"Take care of yourself, Azuma. And look after Kamali and Anzi as well with Amon."

"Hmph," Azuma nodded in agreement.

"Oh! And make sure to make me the God-parent of your beautiful future mixed babies." Aimee teased at him, slightly being serious.

"Urusai!" Azuma barked at her with a blush while the others began to chuckle.

At last, Aimee had made her way to her final comrade. The last member to join the Guardians.

"Ron..."

"Aimee." He replied back to her, slightly getting annoyed as she rubbed the top of his head like she use to do when he was younger.

"You've come along way, Ron." Aimee reminisced with him. "You're much different than the boy I first met."

"I learned from the best, Teacher."

"Hmph, no... I have only taught... you are the one that took it and made it your own." Aimee corrected him. "You have made me proud, Ron. You... and Yummie."

"Thank you, Sis."

"Now, you take care of yourself out there."

"Don't worry I will." Ron replied back, giving her a warm one arm hug in return. "You be sure to do the same as well."

"I always take care of myself. It is in my nature as a nomad." Aimee teased at him as she pulled away. "It's not my fault that danger likes to come to me."

"Heh, yeah right." Ron teased back when the sound of Choppers began to sound overhead of the Den.

"Sounds like your rides are here." Aimee commented. "You guys packed and ready to go?"

"Yeah," They answered. They had already loaded what they needed to be loaded by the landing pad for the Choppers. The workers of the Den would ship their luggage onto their Choppers while the finished up their goodbyes.

"Alright, huddle up! Sound off the oath!" Aimee ordered. They circled around each other like a sport team in the locker room before the big came. Saying their oaths as Guardians together, shouting it off.

"Until the last man is standing  
>Until the last animal on Earth draws its last breath<br>We will fight to defend it  
>Watching over them as the shadows they can't see when the sun's in the sky<br>Guardian Angels to keep them company no matter what roads they lead  
>Unfaltering in our duties as long as we still stand<br>Until our life is at an end  
>We will fight for the ones that cannot<br>We fight for the generations that have yet to be birthed  
>We fight<br>We Fight  
>WE FIGHT!"<p> 


	34. Chapter 34

Going Home

It had been a long day... after the Guardians had taken their Choppers to their new Branches. And... Aimee was already starting to feel alone...

She sat there, on top of the roof of the main temple at the Tranquil Temple area, looking toward the Moon. The night sky had always calmed her nerves, and the Full Moon had always filled her with wonder. Even now, as she could see the patches of green on scattered around it.

"So this is where you've been hiding." A voice called out to her from the ground, catching Aimee off guard by the unexpected company.

"Soma. How did you find me?"

"Hmph, your mutt helped sniff you out." Soma grunted, nodding his head toward Duke who was happily huffing his breath with his tongue hanging out. Jumping onto the walkway stone wall, Soma grabbed onto the temple's wooden entrance door frame to launch himself onto the roof with Aimee. Duke just simply jumped onto the stone stone and leaped onto the roof from there. Curling up on the left side of Aimee, while Soma sat by her right. Both his and her feet dangled over the roof's edge as their breath froze in the cold air.

"Heh, glad to see you two getting along so well." Aimee teased at him as it started to snow again. The flurries would come and go as the clouds would pass by in the semi-clear skies.

"Tst, be quiet will you." Soma groaned out before taking off his coat and placing it over her. "Here, you'll catch a cold, walking around these parts with no damn shoes..."

"Oh, thank you." She wrapped the coat around her, not putting her arms in its sleeves but held it close to her. Looking up to the Moon again, she began to get lost in her thoughts. "Soma, do you think they're doing okay?"

"Probably. They're just disappearing for a time." Soma shrugged his shoulders.

"Rumor has it that the Russia Branch was planning to send rockets up to investigate the greenery suddenly growing on the Moon."

"Are they really?" Aimee turned to look at him.

"How should I know, it's just a rumor."

"Hm..." She curled into herself, bringing her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Looking back up to the sky again with wonder and awe filled eyes. "Wow... it's so big tonight. I can view the greenery so clearly, it's almost like I can see them."

"Well, what did you expect with the Full Moon being out and everything?" Soma commented, bending up on of his legs as well as he rested his arm on its knee. "But I think we'll see them again some how. Someday we'll meet them on the Moon."

"Hm... yes... I'd like that. Very much..." Aimee smiled at the idea, but... began to frown as her thoughts began to wonder. "I think it was best that Seth went to the Moon. He's done too much sins on the Earth to ever walk on it again."

"In a way, Seth acted as a Judgement for this putrid planet." Soma reasoned. "A punishment for us for trying to warp Divine Provence. And Rose... was an atonement, his... and ours."

"Such a Romantic, Soma." Aimee teased at him with a giggle.

"Clam it, will you."

"I noticed that your God Arc has turned to a gleaming white."

"Yeah... that white PAR"

"You mean Jen?"

"Yeah... I guess this was her way of leaving behind a path to atonement."

"Hmph, yeah, I... I guess so."

"You seemed troubled?"

"We... we just got lucky that day, Soma. Things could have turned out much worse."

"Aimee." Soma groaned out, rolling his eyes. She just worries too much.

"That Resonance with Rose could've not work." Aimee kept imagining the worse of outcomes. "Seth could've destroyed us all. We could've all died."

"What's already passed as passed, there's no point focusing on what already has been done."

"But-"

"We're still here, Aimee. Let's just make the best of it. We'll kept fighting against the Aragami for another day."

"You're right. I-it's just that... we're so lucky, Soma..."

"Hm? Why do you say that?"

"Well... look at the Moon." Aimee said, gesturing her hand toward the blooming satellite orbiting their planet. "Not too long ago the lonely man on the Moon was on the verge of committing mass genocide. And now thanks to the presence of one being, he's taken a sudden and yet questionable turn for saving this planet."

"That's the thing about love," Soma explained. "It blinds you to reason and makes you do some crazy things."

"And look at us," Aimee continued to point out. "We are so lucky. Not many get the chance to meet the same precious person from two lives in the same life. And the rare that do, the age different is so vast that it's a cruel joke."

"Mph, but you still are an old hag compared to me." Soma teased at her with a smirk.

"Oh, shut up." Aimee pouted, slapping his arm in response. "I'm still physically only 19, even if time still kept on ticking. I haven't aged until my awakening, so I'm still technically a teenager."

"That is until your next birthday."

"Ehh, we'll cross that bridge when we get there." Aimee waved off before she leaned her body against Soma's body. "I'm just so glad... that I found you again."

"Hmph, yeah... we fixed the broken mistakes together." Soma agreed with her, wrapping an arm around her as he pulled her closer. Resting her head in the crock of his neck while he rested his on top of hers.

"We actually saved each other this time around." Aimee smiled at the thought that their souls were finally together. "Now... there's only one more thing left for us to do..."

"And what's that...?" Aimee lifted her head from the warm crock of his neck, kissing his cheek as he looked down at her. He flush at the warm soft contact of her flesh. "!"

"Live on..."

"Hm... right..." He nodded, giving her one of his rare but soft smiles. She back at him as she returned to her spot on the crock of his neck as they looked back up toward the Moon.

"And carry on the Romani name to the next generation."

"Wait, what?"

*** The End ***

Thanks for waiting so long for the ending. I hope you guys enjoyed ride.  
>And so one story ends to give birth to another. While the Stories grow and scatter to spread across the world. Take some away, and then let some come back to me. (-^_^-)<p> 


End file.
